Refleksion - Worms kabinet og renæssancen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teglhus, Hanne

2006-01-01

Udstilling om Ole Worms liv og videnskab. Ole Worm var læge og videnskabsmand i renæssancen. Ud over at være medicinsk professor ved Københavns Universitet interesserede han sig indgående for Danmarks fortidsminder og runeskrift. Ole Worm skabte sit eget museum, det såkaldte  Museum Wormianum, som...... alt indhold. Ikke med originale genstande, men med dyr, sten, metal og artefakter, der kom så tæt på det originale som muligt.  Denne installation samt portrætgalleriet af Ole Worms forfædre og efterkommere udgør udstillingens hovedelementer. Dertil kommer eksempler på de naturobjekter, der indgik i hans...... medicinske behandlinger og et udvalg af Ole Worms originale videnskabelige publikationer. Til udstillingen er opbygget et moderne "skab dit eget museum" til brug for de besøgendes egne medbragte genstande, som de opfordres til at forsøge at systematisere og udstille efter behag....

New Geometry of Worm Face Gear Drives with Conical and Cylindrical Worms: Generation, Simulation of Meshing, and Stress Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Litvin, Faydor L.; Nava, Alessandro; Fan, Qi; Fuentes, Alfonso

2002-01-01

New geometry of face worm gear drives with conical and cylindrical worms is proposed. The generation of the face worm-gear is based on application of a tilted head-cutter (grinding tool) instead of application of a hob applied at present. The generation of a conjugated worm is based on application of a tilted head-cutter (grinding tool) as well. The bearing contact of the gear drive is localized and is oriented longitudinally. A predesigned parabolic function of transmission errors for reduction of noise and vibration is provided. The stress analysis of the gear drive is performed using a three-dimensional finite element analysis. The contacting model is automatically generated. The developed theory is illustrated with numerical examples.

Facing Two Rapidly Spreading Internet Worms

CERN Multimedia

IT Department

2009-01-01

The Internet is currently facing a growing number of computer infections due to two rapidly spreading worms. The "Conficker" and "Downadup" worms have infected an estimated 1.1 million PCs in a 24-hour period, bringing the total number of infected computers to 3.5 million [1]. Via a single USB stick, these worms were also responsible for the infection of about 40 laptops at the last EGEE conference in Istanbul. In order to reduce the impact of these worms on CERN Windows computers, the Computer Security Team has suggested several preventive measures described here. Disabling the Windows AutoRun and AutoPlay Features The Computer Security Team and the IT/IS group have decided to disable the "AutoRun" and "AutoPlay" functionality on all centrally-managed Windows computers at CERN. When inserting CDs, DVDs or USB sticks into a PC, "AutoRun" and "AutoPlay" are responsible for automatically playing music or films stored on these media, or ...

Lack of effect of ivermectin on prepatent guinea-worm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Issaka-Tinorgah, A.; Magnussen, P.; Bloch, P.

1994-01-01

The effect of ivermectin on prepatent guinea-worm was tested in a single-blind placebo-controlled trial; 400 adults were randomly allocated to a single dose of ivermectin (150 µg/kg) or placebo. Fifty-four of the 385 participants who were followed for 15 months developed a total of 69 emergent...... guinea-worms. There was no significant differencein the proportion of persons with emergent guinea-worms between the 2 treatment groups; 58% appeared in males. 80% of emergent guinea-worms were located below the knee. Migration of guinea-worms in the tissues was not affected. It is concluded...

Ole Worm-Liv og videnskabTidstavle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2006-01-01

hæftet indeholder syv artikler om Ole Worms liv, videnskab, museum, slægtsportrætter, antikvariske arbejder og om installationen Room One......hæftet indeholder syv artikler om Ole Worms liv, videnskab, museum, slægtsportrætter, antikvariske arbejder og om installationen Room One...

Community assembly of the worm gut microbiome

Science.gov (United States)

Gore, Jeff

It has become increasingly clear that human health is strongly influenced by the bacteria that live within the gut, known collectively as the gut microbiome. This complex community varies tremendously between individuals, but understanding the sources that lead to this heterogeneity is challenging. To address this challenge, we are using a bottom-up approach to develop a predictive understanding of how the microbiome assembles and functions within a simple and experimentally tractable gut, the gut of the worm C. elegans. We have found that stochastic community assembly in the C. elegansintestine is sufficient to produce strong inter-worm heterogeneity in community composition. When worms are fed with two neutrally-competing fluorescently labeled bacterial strains, we observe stochastically-driven bimodality in community composition, where approximately half of the worms are dominated by each bacterial strain. A simple model incorporating stochastic colonization suggests that heterogeneity between worms is driven by the low rate at which bacteria successfully establish new intestinal colonies. We can increase this rate experimentally by feeding worms at high bacterial density; in these conditions the bimodality disappears. We have also characterized all pairwise interspecies competitions among a set of eleven bacterial species, illuminating the rules governing interspecies community assembly. These results demonstrate the potential importance of stochastic processes in bacterial community formation and suggest a role for C. elegans as a model system for ecology of host-associated communities.

Filarial worms reduce Plasmodium infectivity in mosquitoes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew T Aliota

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Co-occurrence of malaria and filarial worm parasites has been reported, but little is known about the interaction between filarial worm and malaria parasites with the same Anopheles vector. Herein, we present data evaluating the interaction between Wuchereria bancrofti and Anopheles punctulatus in Papua New Guinea (PNG. Our field studies in PNG demonstrated that An. punctulatus utilizes the melanization immune response as a natural mechanism of filarial worm resistance against invading W. bancrofti microfilariae. We then conducted laboratory studies utilizing the mosquitoes Armigeres subalbatus and Aedes aegypti and the parasites Brugia malayi, Brugia pahangi, Dirofilaria immitis, and Plasmodium gallinaceum to evaluate the hypothesis that immune activation and/or development by filarial worms negatively impact Plasmodium development in co-infected mosquitoes. Ar. subalbatus used in this study are natural vectors of P. gallinaceum and B. pahangi and they are naturally refractory to B. malayi (melanization-based refractoriness.Mosquitoes were dissected and Plasmodium development was analyzed six days after blood feeding on either P. gallinaceum alone or after taking a bloodmeal containing both P. gallinaceum and B. malayi or a bloodmeal containing both P. gallinaceum and B. pahangi. There was a significant reduction in the prevalence and mean intensity of Plasmodium infections in two species of mosquito that had dual infections as compared to those mosquitoes that were infected with Plasmodium alone, and was independent of whether the mosquito had a melanization immune response to the filarial worm or not. However, there was no reduction in Plasmodium development when filarial worms were present in the bloodmeal (D. immitis but midgut penetration was absent, suggesting that factors associated with penetration of the midgut by filarial worms likely are responsible for the observed reduction in malaria parasite infections.These results could have an

Design parameters for sludge reduction in an aquatic worm reactor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendrickx, T.L.G.; Temmink, B.G.; Elissen, H.J.H.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2010-01-01

Reduction and compaction of biological waste sludge from waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) can be achieved with the aquatic worm Lumbriculus variegatus. In our reactor concept for a worm reactor, the worms are immobilised in a carrier material. The size of a worm reactor will therefore mainly be

Detecting Internet Worms Using Data Mining Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muazzam Siddiqui

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Internet worms pose a serious threat to computer security. Traditional approaches using signatures to detect worms pose little danger to the zero day attacks. The focus of malware research is shifting from using signature patterns to identifying the malicious behavior displayed by the malwares. This paper presents a novel idea of extracting variable length instruction sequences that can identify worms from clean programs using data mining techniques. The analysis is facilitated by the program control flow information contained in the instruction sequences. Based upon general statistics gathered from these instruction sequences we formulated the problem as a binary classification problem and built tree based classifiers including decision tree, bagging and random forest. Our approach showed 95.6% detection rate on novel worms whose data was not used in the model building process.

QuantWorm: a comprehensive software package for Caenorhabditis elegans phenotypic assays.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang-Kyu Jung

Full Text Available Phenotypic assays are crucial in genetics; however, traditional methods that rely on human observation are unsuitable for quantitative, large-scale experiments. Furthermore, there is an increasing need for comprehensive analyses of multiple phenotypes to provide multidimensional information. Here we developed an automated, high-throughput computer imaging system for quantifying multiple Caenorhabditis elegans phenotypes. Our imaging system is composed of a microscope equipped with a digital camera and a motorized stage connected to a computer running the QuantWorm software package. Currently, the software package contains one data acquisition module and four image analysis programs: WormLifespan, WormLocomotion, WormLength, and WormEgg. The data acquisition module collects images and videos. The WormLifespan software counts the number of moving worms by using two time-lapse images; the WormLocomotion software computes the velocity of moving worms; the WormLength software measures worm body size; and the WormEgg software counts the number of eggs. To evaluate the performance of our software, we compared the results of our software with manual measurements. We then demonstrated the application of the QuantWorm software in a drug assay and a genetic assay. Overall, the QuantWorm software provided accurate measurements at a high speed. Software source code, executable programs, and sample images are available at www.quantworm.org. Our software package has several advantages over current imaging systems for C. elegans. It is an all-in-one package for quantifying multiple phenotypes. The QuantWorm software is written in Java and its source code is freely available, so it does not require use of commercial software or libraries. It can be run on multiple platforms and easily customized to cope with new methods and requirements.

Screw-worm eradication in the Americas - Overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wyss, John H.

2000-01-01

Screw-worms (Cochliomyia hominivorax, Coquerel) are found only in the Americas, and are known, therefore, as the New World Screw-worm (NWS). The larval stages of the fly feed on the living flesh of their host. A screw-worm infestation can kill an adult animal in 7-10 days if not treated. All warm-blooded animals are affected including man. Although screw-worms had long been recognised as a severe pest of animals in the southwestern United States, they had never been detected east of the Mississippi River before 1933. In July 1933, screw-worms were transported on infested cattle to Georgia and became established east of the Mississippi River. Screw-worms spread quickly in the southeastern United States and were able to overwinter in southern Florida. Being new to the region, they were quickly recognised as a severe pest with a tremendous economic impact on livestock production. The livestock owners in the southeastern United States immediately noticed an increase in the number of animal deaths and increased costs of insecticides, veterinary medicines, veterinary services, inspection and handling. At the same time, they observed a decrease in animal weights and in milk production. Due to these observations, the livestock industry in the southeastern United States requested help in controlling screw-worms. Because of these requests, the research community became interested in control and eradication measures for this pest. Early work by Crushing and Patton in 1933 recognised that C. hominivorax was an obligatory animal parasite and different from the secondary blowfly, Cochliomyia macellaria. In 1934, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) opened a research station in Valdosa, Georgia, and E.W. Laake and E.F. Knipling were assigned to work there. In September 1935, R.C. Bushland was hired by ARS to do research related to screw-worms at an ARS Research Laboratory in Dallas, Texas. Melvin and Bushland in 1936 developed artificial

Worm epidemics in wireless ad hoc networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nekovee, Maziar [BT Research, Polaris 134, Adastral Park, Martlesham, Suffolk IP5 3RE (United Kingdom); Centre for Computational Science, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ (United Kingdom)

2007-06-15

A dramatic increase in the number of computing devices with wireless communication capability has resulted in the emergence of a new class of computer worms which specifically target such devices. The most striking feature of these worms is that they do not require Internet connectivity for their propagation but can spread directly from device to device using a short-range radio communication technology, such as WiFi or Bluetooth. In this paper, we develop a new model for epidemic spreading of these worms and investigate their spreading in wireless ad hoc networks via extensive Monte Carlo simulations. Our studies show that the threshold behaviour and dynamics of worm epidemics in these networks are greatly affected by a combination of spatial and temporal correlations which characterize these networks, and are significantly different from the previously studied epidemics in the Internet.

Worm epidemics in wireless ad hoc networks

Science.gov (United States)

Nekovee, Maziar

2007-06-01

A dramatic increase in the number of computing devices with wireless communication capability has resulted in the emergence of a new class of computer worms which specifically target such devices. The most striking feature of these worms is that they do not require Internet connectivity for their propagation but can spread directly from device to device using a short-range radio communication technology, such as WiFi or Bluetooth. In this paper, we develop a new model for epidemic spreading of these worms and investigate their spreading in wireless ad hoc networks via extensive Monte Carlo simulations. Our studies show that the threshold behaviour and dynamics of worm epidemics in these networks are greatly affected by a combination of spatial and temporal correlations which characterize these networks, and are significantly different from the previously studied epidemics in the Internet.

Worm epidemics in wireless ad hoc networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nekovee, Maziar

2007-01-01

A dramatic increase in the number of computing devices with wireless communication capability has resulted in the emergence of a new class of computer worms which specifically target such devices. The most striking feature of these worms is that they do not require Internet connectivity for their propagation but can spread directly from device to device using a short-range radio communication technology, such as WiFi or Bluetooth. In this paper, we develop a new model for epidemic spreading of these worms and investigate their spreading in wireless ad hoc networks via extensive Monte Carlo simulations. Our studies show that the threshold behaviour and dynamics of worm epidemics in these networks are greatly affected by a combination of spatial and temporal correlations which characterize these networks, and are significantly different from the previously studied epidemics in the Internet

Worm Disease Profile of Primary School Children

Science.gov (United States)

Hartati; Destriani; Victoria, A. R.

2018-01-01

The result of an elementary study of relations between disease symptoms and signs with the wormy occurrence child at Elementary School in Ilir Barat II Subdistrict of Palembang in concerned in this research amount to 200 people from the population of 4200 people of a child in elementary school. The result indicates that the child roommates infested worm marked with a few symptoms like passion eat to Decrease the puking pain in the home of stomach after eating, diarrhea, defecate with the mucus and bleed the purities at the anus before controlled from some worm type of there no difference having a meaning between child roommates worm infested with the child roommates do not infest worm (P > 0.05). Symptom vomit got more amount by having a meaning a child by infested is Trichuris (RO > 2.669, P < 0/005). The result of infested Tricuris generate the more amount of symptoms lust to eat to Decrease by having a meaning of Compared to the which do not infest Trichuris (RO = 3.772; CI 95% = 1.214 to 11.726; P = 0.016) symptoms lust to eat to Decrease and more amount diarrhea got at Infest oxyuris with the special sign of purities at nighttime anus (RO = 0.557; 85% CI = 0.166 to 2.168). The risk of the happening of unfavorable nutrition According to BB / U and Also TB / U growing niche to more amount (having a meaning) at child roommates worm infested by a child Compared to the which do not infest worm.

Worm gear efficiency model considering misalignment in electric power steering systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. H. Kim

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This study proposes a worm gear efficiency model considering misalignment in electric power steering systems. A worm gear is used in Column type Electric Power Steering (C-EPS systems and an Anti-Rattle Spring (ARS is employed in C-EPS systems in order to prevent rattling when the vehicle goes on a bumpy road. This ARS plays a role of preventing rattling by applying preload to one end of the worm shaft but it also generates undesirable friction by causing misalignment of the worm shaft. In order to propose the worm gear efficiency model considering misalignment, geometrical and tribological analyses were performed in this study. For geometrical analysis, normal load on gear teeth was calculated using output torque, pitch diameter of worm wheel, lead angle and normal pressure angle and this normal load was converted to normal pressure at the contact point. Contact points between the tooth flanks of the worm and worm wheel were obtained by mathematically analyzing the geometry, and Hertz's theory was employed in order to calculate contact area at the contact point. Finally, misalignment by an ARS was also considered into the geometry. Friction coefficients between the tooth flanks were also researched in this study. A pin-on-disk type tribometer was set up to measure friction coefficients and friction coefficients at all conditions were measured by the tribometer. In order to validate the worm gear efficiency model, a worm gear was prepared and the efficiency of the worm gear was predicted by the model. As the final procedure of the study, a worm gear efficiency measurement system was set and the efficiency of the worm gear was measured and the results were compared with the predicted results. The efficiency considering misalignment gives more accurate results than the efficiency without misalignment.

Evolution of Scale Worms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gonzalez, Brett Christopher

) caves, and the interstitium, recovering six monophyletic clades within Aphroditiformia: Acoetidae, Aphroditidae, Eulepethidae, Iphionidae, Polynoidae, and Sigalionidae (inclusive of the former ‘Pisionidae’ and ‘Pholoidae’), respectively. Tracing of morphological character evolution showed a high degree...... of adaptability and convergent evolution between relatively closely related scale worms. While some morphological and behavioral modifications in cave polynoids reflected troglomorphism, other modifications like eye loss were found to stem from a common ancestor inhabiting the deep sea, further corroborating...... the deep sea ancestry of scale worm cave fauna. In conclusion, while morphological characterization across Aphroditiformia appears deceptively easy due to the presence of elytra, convergent evolution during multiple early radiations across wide ranging habitats have confounded our ability to reconstruct...

A calibration mechanism based on worm drive for space telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, Yaqin; Li, Chuang; Xia, Siyu; Zhong, Peifeng; Lei, Wang

2017-08-01

In this paper, a new type of calibration mechanism based on worm drive is presented for a space telescope. This calibration mechanism based on worm drive has the advantages of compact size and self-lock. The mechanism mainly consists of thirty-six LEDs as the light source for flat calibration, a diffuse plate, a step motor, a worm gear reducer and a potentiometer. As the main part of the diffuse plate, a PTFE tablet is mounted in an aluminum alloy frame. The frame is fixed on the shaft of the worm gear, which is driven by the step motor through the worm. The shaft of the potentiometer is connected to that of the worm gear to measure the rotation angle of the diffuse plate through a flexible coupler. Firstly, the calibration mechanism is designed, which includes the LEDs assembly design, the worm gear reducer design and the diffuse plate assembly design. The counterweight blocks and two end stops are also designed for the diffuse plate assembly. Then a modal analysis with finite element method for the diffuse plate assembly is completed.

NEDAC: A worm countermeasure mechanism | Ahmad | Science ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article presents an Internet worm countermeasure mechanism that uses DNS activities as a behavioural technique to detect worm propagation. The mechanism also uses a data-link containment solution to block traffic from an infected host. The concept has been demonstrated using a developed prototype and tested in ...

Viability of developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni quantified with xCELLigence worm real-time motility assay (xWORM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel Rinaldi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Infection with helminth parasites causes morbidity and mortality in billions of people and livestock worldwide. Where anthelmintic drugs are available, drug resistance is a major problem in livestock parasites, and a looming threat to public health. Monitoring the efficacy of these medicines and screening for new drugs has been hindered by the lack of objective, high-throughput approaches. Several cell monitoring technologies have been adapted for parasitic worms, including video-, fluorescence-, metabolism enzyme- and impedance-based tools that minimize the screening bottleneck. Using the xCELLigence impedance-based system we previously developed a motility-viability assay that is applicable for a range of helminth parasites. Here we have improved substantially the assay by using diverse frequency settings, and have named it the xCELLigence worm real-time motility assay (xWORM. By utilizing strictly standardized mean difference analysis we compared the xWORM output measured with 10, 25 and 50 kHz frequencies to quantify the motility of schistosome adults (human blood flukes and hatching of schistosome eggs. Furthermore, we have described a novel application of xWORM to monitor movement of schistosome cercariae, the developmental stage that is infectious to humans. For all three stages, 25 kHz was either optimal or near-optimal for monitoring and quantifying schistosome motility. These improvements in methodology sensitivity should enhance the capacity to screen small compound libraries for new drugs both for schistosomes and other helminth pathogens at large.

Dual-worm screw compressors; Compresseurs bi-vis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baleydier, J P [Bitzer France, 69 - Lyon (France)

1998-12-31

Low power worm-screw moto-compressors are used in any king of refrigerating machineries and more and more in air conditioning systems. This paper presents the principle of dual-screw moto-compressors: worm-screw technology, role of oil (lubrication, tightness, cooling), compression, internal pressure, power reduction, lubrication, economizer, operation, model selection and accessories. (J.S.)

Dual-worm screw compressors; Compresseurs bi-vis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baleydier, J.P. [Bitzer France, 69 - Lyon (France)

1997-12-31

Low power worm-screw moto-compressors are used in any king of refrigerating machineries and more and more in air conditioning systems. This paper presents the principle of dual-screw moto-compressors: worm-screw technology, role of oil (lubrication, tightness, cooling), compression, internal pressure, power reduction, lubrication, economizer, operation, model selection and accessories. (J.S.)

Marine worms (genus Osedax) colonize cow bones.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, William J; Johnson, Shannon B; Rouse, Greg W; Vrijenhoek, Robert C

2008-02-22

Bone-eating worms of the genus Osedax colonized and grew on cow bones deployed at depths ranging from 385 to 2893m in Monterey Bay, California. Colonization occurred as rapidly as two months following deployment of the cow bones, similar to the time it takes to colonize exposed whalebones. Some Osedax females found on the cow bones were producing eggs and some hosted dwarf males in their tubes. Morphological and molecular examinations of these worms confirmed the presence of six Osedax species, out of the eight species presently known from Monterey Bay. The ability of Osedax species to colonize, grow and reproduce on cow bones challenges previous notions that these worms are 'whale-fall specialists.'

The theory and practice of worm gear drives

CERN Document Server

Dudás, Ilés

2005-01-01

Worm gears are special gears that resemble screws, and can be used to drive other gears. Worm gears, enable two non-touching shafts in a machine to mesh (join) together. This publication, unique in that it combines both theoretical and practical design aspects, including the latest results of research and development, provides detailed treatment of the theory and production of worm drives, as well as the overarching subject of production geometry of helicoidal surfaces.Included are mathematical models for a number of practical applications; a description of dressing equipment r

Biomass torrefaction: A promising pretreatment technology for biomass utilization

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, ZhiWen; Wang, Mingfeng; Ren, Yongzhi; Jiang, Enchen; Jiang, Yang; Li, Weizhen

2018-02-01

Torrefaction is an emerging technology also called mild pyrolysis, which has been explored for the pretreatment of biomass to make the biomass more favorable for further utilization. Dry torrefaction (DT) is a pretreatment of biomass in the absence of oxygen under atmospheric pressure and in a temperature range of 200-300 degrees C, while wet torrrefaction (WT) is a method in hydrothermal or hot and high pressure water at the tempertures within 180-260 degrees C. Torrrefied biomass is hydrophobic, with lower moisture contents, increased energy density and higher heating value, which are more comparable to the characteristics of coal. With the improvement in the properties, torrefied biomass mainly has three potential applications: combustion or co-firing, pelletization and gasification. Generally, the torrefaction technology can accelerate the development of biomass utilization technology and finally realize the maximum applications of biomass energy.

Spread and Control of Mobile Benign Worm Based on Two-Stage Repairing Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Both in traditional social network and in mobile network environment, the worm is a serious threat, and this threat is growing all the time. Mobile smartphones generally promote the development of mobile network. The traditional antivirus technologies have become powerless when facing mobile networks. The development of benign worms, especially active benign worms and passive benign worms, has become a new network security measure. In this paper, we focused on the spread of worm in mobile environment and proposed the benign worm control and repair mechanism. The control process of mobile benign worms is divided into two stages: the first stage is rapid repair control, which uses active benign worm to deal with malicious worm in the mobile network; when the network is relatively stable, it enters the second stage of postrepair and uses passive mode to optimize the environment for the purpose of controlling the mobile network. Considering whether the existence of benign worm, we simplified the model and analyzed the four situations. Finally, we use simulation to verify the model. This control mechanism for benign worm propagation is of guiding significance to control the network security.

Intestinal Worm Infestation and Anaemia in Pregnant Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krishna Bahadur Raut

2016-03-01

Conclusions: Aanaemia is prevalent in pregnant women of PHCRC, chapagaun and there was a significant correlation between anaemia and worm infestation. However, the relation among the haemoglobin level, iron, folic acid and albendazole was not significant. Keywords: anaemia; infestation; pregnant women; worm. | PubMed

Edible peanut worm ( Sipunculus nudus) in the Beibu Gulf: Resource, aquaculture, ecological impact and counterplan

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Junwei; Xie, Xiaoyong; Zhu, Changbo; Guo, Yongjian; Chen, Suwen

2017-10-01

Sipunculus nudus is an important economic species because of its high nutritional and medicinal values. The exploitation and utilization of S. nudus primarily occur in the coastal regions of the Beibu Gulf. However, wild resource of S. nudus is rapidly decreasing because of the overexploitation, which has led to considerable developments of artificial breeding techniques. The cultivation scale of S. nudus has increased in response to successful artificial breeding; however, methods for culturing S. nudus in tidal flats or ponds require further study. Most studies have focused on the breeding, nutrition, medical value and ecological impact of these worms. Studies on the distribution, sediment requirements, nutrition characteristics, breeding techniques and aquaculture ecology of this species are summarized in this paper to promote the development of the aquaculture industry for S. nudus. The high biomass of S. nudus in the Beibu Gulf is positively correlated with the sediment characteristics and water quality of the region. The production of peanut worm has improved to some extent through culturing; however, the nutrient value and ecological environment problems have been observed, which reflect the over exploitation of trace elements and the sediment. These problems will worsen unless they are resolved, and the release of organic materials, nitrogen and phosphorus during harvesting impacts the coastal environment. Moreover, genetic erosion is a potential risk for larvae in artificial breeding programs in tidal flats. Therefore, culturing and collecting methods should be improved and the wild resource conservation should be implemented to promote the sustainable development of the peanut worm.

Benthic macro and meiofauna of seagrass (Thalassia hemprichii) bed at Minicoy, Lakshadweep

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Ansari, Z.A.

Macrofauna, comprising 9 groups, was dominated by polychaete worms, while meiofauna, comprising 10 groups, was dominated by nematodes Densities of both macro and meiofauna were higher near the shore where biomass of Thalassia hemprichii was maximum...

Towards global Guinea worm eradication in 2015: the experience of South Sudan.

Science.gov (United States)

Awofeso, Niyi

2013-08-01

For centuries, the Guinea worm parasite (Dracunculus medinensis) has caused disabling misery, infecting people who drink stagnant water contaminated with the worm's larvae. In 2012, there were 542 cases of Guinea worm reported globally, of which 521 (96.1%) were reported in South Sudan. Protracted civil wars, an inadequate workforce, neglect of potable water provision programs, suboptimal Guinea worm surveillance and case containment, and fragmented health systems account for many of the structural and operational factors encumbering South Sudan's Guinea worm eradication efforts. This article reviews the impacts of six established Guinea worm control strategies in South Sudan: (1) surveillance to determine actual caseload distribution and trends in response to control measures; (2) educating community members from whom worms are emerging to avoid immersing affected parts in sources of drinking water; (3) filtering potentially contaminated drinking water using cloth filters or filtered drinking straws; (4) treating potentially contaminated surface water with the copepod larvicide temephos (Abate); (5) providing safe drinking water from boreholes or hand-dug wells; and (6) containment of transmission through voluntary isolation of each patient to prevent contamination of drinking water sources, provision of first aid, and manual extraction of the worm. Surveillance, community education, potable water provision, and case containment remain weak facets of the program. Abate pesticide is not a viable option for Guinea worm control in South Sudan. In light of current case detection and containment trends, as well as capacity building efforts for Guinea worm eradication, South Sudan is more likely to eradicate Guinea worm by 2020, rather than by 2015. The author highlights areas in which substantial improvements are required in South Sudan's Guinea worm eradication program, and suggests improvement strategies. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Infectious

Social behaviour and collective motion in plant-animal worms.

Science.gov (United States)

Franks, Nigel R; Worley, Alan; Grant, Katherine A J; Gorman, Alice R; Vizard, Victoria; Plackett, Harriet; Doran, Carolina; Gamble, Margaret L; Stumpe, Martin C; Sendova-Franks, Ana B

2016-02-24

Social behaviour may enable organisms to occupy ecological niches that would otherwise be unavailable to them. Here, we test this major evolutionary principle by demonstrating self-organizing social behaviour in the plant-animal, Symsagittifera roscoffensis. These marine aceol flat worms rely for all of their nutrition on the algae within their bodies: hence their common name. We show that individual worms interact with one another to coordinate their movements so that even at low densities they begin to swim in small polarized groups and at increasing densities such flotillas turn into circular mills. We use computer simulations to: (i) determine if real worms interact socially by comparing them with virtual worms that do not interact and (ii) show that the social phase transitions of the real worms can occur based only on local interactions between and among them. We hypothesize that such social behaviour helps the worms to form the dense biofilms or mats observed on certain sun-exposed sandy beaches in the upper intertidal of the East Atlantic and to become in effect a super-organismic seaweed in a habitat where macro-algal seaweeds cannot anchor themselves. Symsagittifera roscoffensis, a model organism in many other areas in biology (including stem cell regeneration), also seems to be an ideal model for understanding how individual behaviours can lead, through collective movement, to social assemblages. © 2016 The Author(s).

The effect of operating conditions on aquatic worms eating waste sludge

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendrickx, T.L.G.; Temmink, H.; Elissen, H.J.H.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2009-01-01

Several techniques are available for dealing with the waste sludge produced in biological waste water treatment. A biological approach uses aquatic worms to consume and partially digest the waste sludge. In our concept for a worm reactor, the worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) are immobilised in a

Age-related worm load and worm fecundity patterns in human populations, as indicated by schistosome circulating antigens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Polman Katja

1998-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, our group determined the relationship between serum CAA levels and fecal egg counts in two foci with very intense Schistosoma mansoni transmission: Maniema (Zaire, an area endemic for S. mansoni since several decades, and Ndombo (Senegal, where transmission has only been established since a few years. The objective was to study and compare age-related worm load and worm fecundity patterns in these two different endemic settings. Here, we will summarize the most important findings and conclusions of this study.

Weird and wonderful worms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wassink, J.

2015-01-01

In the WaterLab, biotechnologist Steef de Valk is carrying out experiments with tubifex worms. These threadlike creatures are capable of reducing by half the quantity of sewage sludge from water treatment. No-one really understands how this works.

Promoting positive health behaviours--'tooth worm' phenomenon and its implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, X L; Hsu, C Y S; Xu, Y C; Loh, T; Koh, D; Hwarng, H B

2012-03-01

'Tooth worm' is a traditional belief about the pathogen of dental caries (tooth decay). Nevertheless, in our previous study, parental 'tooth worm' belief was linked to a reduced caries risk of their children. This study aimed to further characterize the impact of parental 'tooth worm' belief on their children's caries experience and its psychobehavioural mechanisms. analytic observational study. Thirteen randomly selected kindergartens in Singapore. 1,782 preschoolers aged 3-6 years. Each child received an oral examination and microbiological tests. Parents completed a self-administered questionnaire on their socio-demographic background, oral health knowledge/attitude and child's oral health habits. Multivariate analysis confirmed a reduced chance of 'high caries rate' (number of affected teeth > 2) among children whose parents held the 'tooth worm' belief (Odds Ratio = 0.41; 95% Confidence Interval = 0.19-0.89). With such perception among parents, children brushed their teeth more frequently (p = 0.042). Since no difference in oral hygiene was observed, the health benefit of the "tooth worm" perception may be acquired through the delivery of fluoride (an agent with proven anti-caries effect) during frequent toothbrushing episodes. This study revealed a 'tooth worm' phenomenon, indicating that parental 'tooth worm' belief is associated with early establishment of regular toothbrushing habit and reduction of dental caries in children. This phenomenon and its psychobehavioural mechanisms, enriching our understanding of oral health behaviours, have implications for effective health education.

Global dynamics of a novel multi-group model for computer worms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong Yong-Wang; Song Yu-Rong; Jiang Guo-Ping

2013-01-01

In this paper, we study worm dynamics in computer networks composed of many autonomous systems. A novel multi-group SIQR (susceptible-infected-quarantined-removed) model is proposed for computer worms by explicitly considering anti-virus measures and the network infrastructure. Then, the basic reproduction number of worm R 0 is derived and the global dynamics of the model are established. It is shown that if R 0 is less than or equal to 1, the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable and the worm dies out eventually, whereas, if R 0 is greater than 1, one unique endemic equilibrium exists and it is globally asymptotically stable, thus the worm persists in the network. Finally, numerical simulations are given to illustrate the theoretical results. (general)

Basic definitions for discrete modeling of computer worms epidemics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Guevara López

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The information technologies have evolved in such a way that communication between computers or hosts has become common, so much that the worldwide organization (governments and corporations depends on it; what could happen if these computers stop working for a long time is catastrophic. Unfortunately, networks are attacked by malware such as viruses and worms that could collapse the system. This has served as motivation for the formal study of computer worms and epidemics to develop strategies for prevention and protection; this is why in this paper, before analyzing epidemiological models, a set of formal definitions based on set theory and functions is proposed for describing 21 concepts used in the study of worms. These definitions provide a basis for future qualitative research on the behavior of computer worms, and quantitative for the study of their epidemiological models.

Mathematical description of tooth flank surface of globoidal worm gear with straight axial tooth profile

Science.gov (United States)

Połowniak, Piotr; Sobolak, Mariusz

2017-12-01

In this article, a mathematical description of tooth flank surface of the globoidal worm and worm wheel generated by the hourglass worm hob with straight tooth axial profile is presented. The kinematic system of globoidal worm gear is shown. The equation of globoid helix and tooth axial profile of worm is derived to determine worm tooth surface. Based on the equation of meshing the contact lines are obtained. The mathematical description of globoidal worm wheel tooth flank is performed on the basis of contact lines and generating the tooth side by the extreme cutting edge of worm hob. The presented mathematical model of tooth flank of TA worm and worm wheel can be used e.g. to analyse the contact pattern of the gear.

Worm plot to diagnose fit in quantile regression

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buuren, S. van

2007-01-01

The worm plot is a series of detrended Q-Q plots, split by covariate levels. The worm plot is a diagnostic tool for visualizing how well a statistical model fits the data, for finding locations at which the fit can be improved, and for comparing the fit of different models. This paper shows how the

Worm plot to diagnose fit in quantile regression

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buuren, S. van

2007-01-01

The worm plot is a series of detrended Q-Q plots, split by covariate levels. The worm plot is a diagnostic tool for visualizing how well a statistical model fits the data, for finding locations at which the fit can be improved, and for comparing the fit of different models. This paper shows how

A Theoretical Study of two Novel Concept Systems for Maximum Thermal-Chemical Conversion of Biomass to Hydrogen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacob N. Chung

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Two concept systems that are based on the thermochemical process of high-temperature steam gasification of lignocellulosic biomass and municipal solid waste are introduced. The primary objectives of the concept systems are 1 to develop the best scientific, engineering, and technology solutions for converting lignocellulosic biomass, as well as agricultural, forest and municipal waste to clean energy (pure hydrogen fuel, and 2 to minimize water consumption and detrimental impacts of energy production on the environment (air pollution and global warming. The production of superheated steam is by hydrogen combustion using recycled hydrogen produced in the first concept system while in the second concept system concentrated solar energy is used for the steam production. A membrane reactor that performs the hydrogen separation and water gas shift reaction is involved in both systems for producing more pure hydrogen and CO2 sequestration. Based on obtaining the maximum hydrogen production rate the hydrogen recycled ratio is around 20% for the hydrogen combustion steam heating system. Combined with pure hydrogen production, both high temperature steam gasification systems potentially possess more than 80% in first law overall system thermodynamic efficiencies.

A Theoretical Study of Two Novel Concept Systems for Maximum Thermal-Chemical Conversion of Biomass to Hydrogen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, J. N., E-mail: jnchung@ufl.edu [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

2014-01-02

Two concept systems that are based on the thermochemical process of high temperature steam gasification of lignocellulosic biomass and municipal solid waste are introduced. The primary objectives of the concept systems are (1) to develop the best scientific, engineering, and technology solutions for converting lignocellulosic biomass, as well as agricultural, forest, and municipal waste to clean energy (pure hydrogen fuel), and (2) to minimize water consumption and detrimental impacts of energy production on the environment (air pollution and global warming). The production of superheated steam is by hydrogen combustion using recycled hydrogen produced in the first concept system while in the second concept system concentrated solar energy is used for the steam production. A membrane reactor that performs the hydrogen separation and water gas shift reaction is involved in both systems for producing more pure hydrogen and CO{sub 2} sequestration. Based on obtaining the maximum hydrogen production rate the hydrogen recycled ratio is around 20% for the hydrogen combustion steam heating system. Combined with pure hydrogen production, both high temperature steam gasification systems potentially possess more than 80% in first law overall system thermodynamic efficiencies.

Marine worms (genus Osedax) colonize cow bones

OpenAIRE

Jones, William J; Johnson, Shannon B; Rouse, Greg W; Vrijenhoek, Robert C

2007-01-01

Bone-eating worms of the genus Osedax colonized and grew on cow bones deployed at depths ranging from 385 to 2893 m in Monterey Bay, California. Colonization occurred as rapidly as two months following deployment of the cow bones, similar to the time it takes to colonize exposed whalebones. Some Osedax females found on the cow bones were producing eggs and some hosted dwarf males in their tubes. Morphological and molecular examinations of these worms confirmed the presence of six Osedax speci...

Mathematical model for spreading dynamics of social network worms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Xin; Liu, Yan-Heng; Han, Jia-Wei; Liu, Xue-Jie; Li, Bin; Li, Jin

2012-01-01

In this paper, a mathematical model for social network worm spreading is presented from the viewpoint of social engineering. This model consists of two submodels. Firstly, a human behavior model based on game theory is suggested for modeling and predicting the expected behaviors of a network user encountering malicious messages. The game situation models the actions of a user under the condition that the system may be infected at the time of opening a malicious message. Secondly, a social network accessing model is proposed to characterize the dynamics of network users, by which the number of online susceptible users can be determined at each time step. Several simulation experiments are carried out on artificial social networks. The results show that (1) the proposed mathematical model can well describe the spreading dynamics of social network worms; (2) weighted network topology greatly affects the spread of worms; (3) worms spread even faster on hybrid social networks

Metagenomic Analysis of Microbial Symbionts in a Gutless Worm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woyke, Tanja; Teeling, Hanno; Ivanova, Natalia N.; Hunteman, Marcel; Richter, Michael; Gloeckner, Frank Oliver; Boeffelli, Dario; Barry, Kerrie W.; Shapiro, Harris J.; Anderson, Iain J.; Szeto, Ernest; Kyrpides, Nikos C.; Mussmann, Marc; Amann, Rudolf; Bergin, Claudia; Ruehland, Caroline; Rubin, Edward M.; Dubilier, Nicole

2006-05-01

Symbioses between bacteria and eukaryotes are ubiquitous, yet our understanding of the interactions driving these associations is hampered by our inability to cultivate most host-associated microbes. Here we use a metagenomic approach to describe four co-occurring symbionts from the marine oligochaete Olavius algarvensis, a worm lacking a mouth, gut and nephridia. Shotgun sequencing and metabolic pathway reconstruction revealed that the symbionts are sulphur-oxidizing and sulphate-reducing bacteria, all of which are capable of carbon fixation, thus providing the host with multiple sources of nutrition. Molecular evidence for the uptake and recycling of worm waste products by the symbionts suggests how the worm could eliminate its excretory system, an adaptation unique among annelid worms. We propose a model that describes how the versatile metabolism within this symbiotic consortium provides the host with an optimal energy supply as it shuttles between the upper oxic and lower anoxic coastal sediments that it inhabits.

WORM: A general-purpose input deck specification language

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, T.

1999-01-01

Using computer codes to perform criticality safety calculations has become common practice in the industry. The vast majority of these codes use simple text-based input decks to represent the geometry, materials, and other parameters that describe the problem. However, the data specified in input files are usually processed results themselves. For example, input decks tend to require the geometry specification in linear dimensions and materials in atom or weight fractions, while the parameter of interest might be mass or concentration. The calculations needed to convert from the item of interest to the required parameter in the input deck are usually performed separately and then incorporated into the input deck. This process of calculating, editing, and renaming files to perform a simple parameter study is tedious at best. In addition, most computer codes require dimensions to be specified in centimeters, while drawings or other materials used to create the input decks might be in other units. This also requires additional calculation or conversion prior to composition of the input deck. These additional calculations, while extremely simple, introduce a source for error in both the calculations and transcriptions. To overcome these difficulties, WORM (Write One, Run Many) was created. It is an easy-to-use programming language to describe input decks and can be used with any computer code that uses standard text files for input. WORM is available, via the Internet, at worm.lanl.gov. A user's guide, tutorials, example models, and other WORM-related materials are also available at this Web site. Questions regarding WORM should be directed to wormatlanl.gov

Performance Analysis of Cell-Phone Worm Spreading in Cellular Networks through Opportunistic Communications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YAHUI, W.

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Worms spreading directly between cell-phones over short-range radio (Bluetooth, WiFi, etc. are increasing rapidly. Communication by these technologies is opportunistic and has very close relation with the social characteristics of the phone carriers. In this paper, we try to evaluate the impact of different characteristics on the spreading performance of worms. On the other hand, the behaviors of worms may have certain impact, too. For example, worms may make phones be completely dysfunctional and these phones can be seen as killed. We study the impact of the killing speed. Using the Markov model, we propose some theoretical models to evaluate the spreading performance in different cases. Simulation results show the accuracy of our models. Numerical results show that if users do not believe the data coming from others easily, the worms may bring less damage. Surprisingly, if the users are more willing to install the anti-virus software, the worms may bring bigger damage when the software becomes to be outdated with high probability. Though the worms can bring big damage on the network temporarily by killing phones rapidly, numerical results show that this behavior may decrease the total damage in the long time. Therefore, killing nodes more rapidly may be not optimal for worms.

The opportunistic transmission of wireless worms between mobile devices

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, C. J.; Nekovee, M.

2008-12-01

The ubiquity of portable wireless-enabled computing and communications devices has stimulated the emergence of malicious codes (wireless worms) that are capable of spreading between spatially proximal devices. The potential exists for worms to be opportunistically transmitted between devices as they move around, so human mobility patterns will have an impact on epidemic spread. The scenario we address in this paper is proximity attacks from fleetingly in-contact wireless devices with short-range communication range, such as Bluetooth-enabled smart phones. An individual-based model of mobile devices is introduced and the effect of population characteristics and device behaviour on the outbreak dynamics is investigated. The model uses straight-line motion to achieve population, though it is recognised that this is a highly simplified representation of human mobility patterns. We show that the contact rate can be derived from the underlying mobility model and, through extensive simulation, that mass-action epidemic models remain applicable to worm spreading in the low density regime studied here. The model gives useful analytical expressions against which more refined simulations of worm spread can be developed and tested.

Worm-it: converting organic wastes into sustainable fish feed by using aquatic worms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elissen, H.J.H.; Hendrickx, T.L.G.; Temmink, H.; Laarhoven, B.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2015-01-01

Due to overfishing and the use of one-third of wild fish catches for feeding farmed fish and livestock, there is a strong need for alternative sources of suitable proteins and lipids in fish feeds. Small freshwater worms of the species Lumbriculus variegatus can be such a source based on their high

Mobile agents affect worm spreading in wireless ad hoc networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Zi-Gang; Sun, Jin-Tu; Wang, Ying-Hai; Wang, Sheng-Jun; Xu, Xin-Jian

2009-01-01

Considering the dynamic nature of portable computing devices with wireless communication capability, an extended model is introduced for worm spreading in the wireless ad hoc network, with a population of mobile agents in a planar distribution, starting from an initial infected seed. The effect of agents' mobility on worm spreading is investigated via extensive Monte Carlo simulations. The threshold behavior and the dynamics of worm epidemics in the wireless networks are greatly affected by both agents' mobility and spatial and temporal correlations. The medium access control mechanism for the wireless communication promotes the sensitivity of the spreading dynamics to agents' mobility

Guinea Worm in a Frog

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2017-03-09

Dr. Mark Eberhard, a retired parasitologist and CDC guest researcher, discusses Guinea worm infection in a wild-caught frog.  Created: 3/9/2017 by National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).   Date Released: 3/9/2017.

Network protection against worms and cascading failures using modularity partitioning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Omic, J.; Hernandez, J.M.; Van Mieghem, P.

2010-01-01

Communication networks are prone to virus and worms spreading and cascading failures. Recently, a number of social networking worms have spread over public Web sites. Another example is error propagation in routing tables, such as in BGP tables. The immunization and error curing applied to these

Shrimp aquaculture in low salinity water feeded with worm flavor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenceslao Valenzuela Quiñónez

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Shrimp aquaculture in Sinaloa is one of the top economic enterprises, generating many jobs and earns significant incomes every year. Shrimp feed is an essential part of maintaining healthy production. In this initial approach of shrimp growth in low salinity water, were tested two formulas of animal protein composed of 40% (APL1 and 20% (APL2 worm protein, a commercial diet, and no supplementary feed. Physicochemical parameters did not have a direct influence in shrimpbehavior. After six weeks of experimentation, shrimp fed with commercial diet had a weight gain 20% higher than those feed with worm protein. There were no significantly differences between sizes with respect to 40% animal protein and 20% animal protein with the commercial diet (P  0.05. However, shrimp fed worm protein had lower mortality. The use of worm protein could be an option to maintain a high quantity of shrimp reared in low salinity waters.

WormBase: Annotating many nematode genomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Howe, Kevin; Davis, Paul; Paulini, Michael; Tuli, Mary Ann; Williams, Gary; Yook, Karen; Durbin, Richard; Kersey, Paul; Sternberg, Paul W

2012-01-01

WormBase (www.wormbase.org) has been serving the scientific community for over 11 years as the central repository for genomic and genetic information for the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The resource has evolved from its beginnings as a database housing the genomic sequence and genetic and physical maps of a single species, and now represents the breadth and diversity of nematode research, currently serving genome sequence and annotation for around 20 nematodes. In this article, we focus on WormBase's role of genome sequence annotation, describing how we annotate and integrate data from a growing collection of nematode species and strains. We also review our approaches to sequence curation, and discuss the impact on annotation quality of large functional genomics projects such as modENCODE.

Modeling and Stability Analysis of Worm Propagation in Wireless Sensor Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liping Feng

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An improved SIRS model considering communication radius and distributed density of nodes is proposed. The proposed model captures both the spatial and temporal dynamics of worms spread process. Using differential dynamical theories, we investigate dynamics of worm propagation to time in wireless sensor networks (WSNs. Reproductive number which determines global dynamics of worm propagation in WSNs is obtained. Equilibriums and their stabilities are also found. If reproductive number is less than one, the infected fraction of the sensor nodes disappears and if the reproduction number is greater than one, the infected fraction asymptotically stabilizes at the endemic equilibrium. Based on the reproduction number, we discuss the threshold of worm propagation about communication radius and distributed density of nodes in WSNs. Finally, numerical simulations verify the correctness of theoretical analysis.

: acquired resistance in mice by implantation of young irradiated worms into the portal system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Marcos Z. Coelho

1989-02-01

Full Text Available In two distinct experiments, immature S. mansoni worms (LE strain, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, aged 20 days, obtained from the portal system of white outbred mice, were irradiated with 14 and 4 Krad, respectively. Afterwards, the worms were directly inoculated into the portal vein of normal mice. Inoculation was performed with 20 irradiated worms per animal. Fifty days after inoculation, the mice that received 4 and 14 Krad-irradiated worms and their respective controls were infected with S. mansoni cercariae (LE strain, by transcutaneous route. Twenty days after this challenge infection, the animals were sacrificed and perfused for mature irradiated (90-day-old and immature (20-day-old worm counts. Analysis of the results showed that statistically significant protection against cercariae occurred in both groups with irradiated worms.

Can aquatic worms enhance methane production from waste activated sludge?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Serrano, Antonio; Hendrickx, Tim L.G.; Elissen, Hellen; Laarhoven, Bob; Buisman, Cees J.N.; Temmink, Hardy

2016-01-01

Although literature suggests that aquatic worms can help to enhance the methane production from excess activated sludge, clear evidence for this is missing. Therefore, anaerobic digestion tests were performed at 20 and at 30 °C with sludge from a high-loaded membrane bioreactor, the aquatic worm

Zoology: War of the Worms.

Science.gov (United States)

Telford, Maximilian J; Copley, Richard R

2016-04-25

The phylogenetic affinities of Xenacoelomorpha - the phylum comprising Xenoturbella bocki and acoelomorph worms - are debated. Two recent studies conclude they represent the earliest branching bilaterally symmetrical animals, but additional tests may be needed to confirm this notion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Curcumin Generates Oxidative Stress and Induces Apoptosis in Adult Schistosoma mansoni Worms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela de Paula Aguiar

Full Text Available Inducing apoptosis is an interesting therapeutic approach to develop drugs that act against helminthic parasites. Researchers have investigated how curcumin (CUR, a biologically active compound extracted from rhizomes of Curcuma longa, affects Schistosoma mansoni and several cancer cell lines. This study evaluates how CUR influences the induction of apoptosis and oxidative stress in couples of adult S. mansoni worms. CUR decreased the viability of adult worms and killed them. The tegument of the parasite suffered morphological changes, the mitochondria underwent alterations, and chromatin condensed. Different apoptotic parameters were determined in an attempt to understand how CUR affected adult S. mansoni worms. CUR induced DNA damage and fragmentation and increased the expression of SmCASP3/7 transcripts and the activity of Caspase 3 in female and male worms. However, CUR did not intensify the activity of Caspase 8 in female or male worms. Evaluation of the superoxide anion and different antioxidant enzymes helped to explore the mechanism of parasite death further. The level of superoxide anion and the activity of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD increased, whereas the activity of Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST, Glutathione reductase (GR, and Glutathione peroxidase (GPX decreased, which culminated in the oxidation of proteins in adult female and male worms incubated with CUR. In conclusion, CUR generated oxidative stress followed by apoptotic-like-events in both adult female and male S. mansoni worms, ultimately killing them.

The life-cycle of the compost worm Eisenia ietida (Oligochaeta)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

161. The life-cycle of the compost worm Eisenia ietida (Oligochaeta). J.M. Venter* and A.J. Reinecke. Department of Zoology, Potchefstroom University for CHE, Potchefstroom, 2520 Republic of South Africa. Received 29 January, 1987; accepted 29 January 1988. To determine the full potential of the compost worm Eisenia ...

An Analysis Of Guinea Worm Infection On Yam Productivity In ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Guinea worm infection has been reported to be one of the external diseconomies factors that limit agricultural productivity of the rural farm households. The study examined the determinants of farmers' vulnerability to guineaworm infection and the effect of guinea worm infection on yam yield in the study area. A stratified ...

Worm Algorithm for CP(N-1) Model

CERN Document Server

Rindlisbacher, Tobias

2017-01-01

The CP(N-1) model in 2D is an interesting toy model for 4D QCD as it possesses confinement, asymptotic freedom and a non-trivial vacuum structure. Due to the lower dimensionality and the absence of fermions, the computational cost for simulating 2D CP(N-1) on the lattice is much lower than that for simulating 4D QCD. However, to our knowledge, no efficient algorithm for simulating the lattice CP(N-1) model has been tested so far, which also works at finite density. To this end we propose a new type of worm algorithm which is appropriate to simulate the lattice CP(N-1) model in a dual, flux-variables based representation, in which the introduction of a chemical potential does not give rise to any complications. In addition to the usual worm moves where a defect is just moved from one lattice site to the next, our algorithm additionally allows for worm-type moves in the internal variable space of single links, which accelerates the Monte Carlo evolution. We use our algorithm to compare the two popular CP(N-1) l...

Durability Characteristics Analysis of Plastic Worm Wheel with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyamide.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Gun-Hee; Lee, Jeong-Won; Seo, Tae-Il

2013-05-10

Plastic worm wheel is widely used in the vehicle manufacturing field because it is favorable for weight lightening, vibration and noise reduction, as well as corrosion resistance. However, it is very difficult for general plastics to secure the mechanical properties that are required for vehicle gears. If the plastic resin is reinforced by glass fiber in the fabrication process of plastic worm wheel, it is possible to achieve the mechanical properties of metallic material levels. In this study, the mechanical characteristic analysis of the glass-reinforced plastic worm wheel, according to the contents of glass fiber, is performed by analytic and experimental methods. In the case of the glass fiber-reinforced resin, the orientation and contents of glass fibers can influence the mechanical properties. For the characteristic prediction of plastic worm wheel, computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis processes such as structural and injection molding analysis were executed with the polyamide resin reinforcement glass fiber (25 wt %, 50 wt %). The injection mold for fabricating the prototype plastic worm wheel was designed and made to reflect the CAE analysis results. Finally, the durability of prototype plastic worm wheel fabricated by the injection molding process was evaluated by the experimental method and the characteristics according to the glass fiber contents.

Accounting for Film-Forming and Damping Properties of Lubricants in Worm Gear Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. A. Polyakov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper offers to use a curve of changing vibration amplitude of the rotating moment on the worm shaft of reducer in the process of growing brake (loading moment as one of criteria of the worm reducer operability. A condition of reducer operability at the nominal moment is lack of vibrations of the rotating moment with a critical value of amplitude.It is shown that vibrations of rotating moment on a shaft of the electric engine, by their nature, are self-vibrations in the system with "negative friction". Values of the brake moment at which there is a sharp increase of vibration amplitude leading to operability loss correspond to the nominal moment for this reducer or to the brake moment, corresponding to the maximum efficiency. It is shown that different lubricants differently influence on the generation of self-vibrations. The most efficient damping occurs when using oil with the additive "Striboil", and the reason of falling efficiency at the excess of the nominal moment is essentially increased energy losses at generation of vibrations with "negative friction", especially when approaching to the resonance area. Thus, taking into account a nature of damping vibrations, with using different lubricants, allows us to increase the permissible tension since the more is a damping value the more is a brake moment corresponding to the maximum efficiency. It is noted that, when using the additives to oils, a growth of the permissible tension is caused by the processes of film formation increasing the real contact area, which increases its share of the nominal contact area determined by the Hertz formula.

 Grunting for worms: reactions of Diplocardia to seismic vibrations

Science.gov (United States)

M.A. Callaham

2009-01-01

Harvesting earthworms by a practice called 'worm grunting' is a widespread and profitable business in the southeastern USA. Although a variety of techniques are used, most involve rhythmically scraping a wooden stake driven into the ground, with a fiat metal object. A common assumption is that vibrations cause the worms to surface, but this phenomenon has not...

Effects of the herbicide isoproturon on metallothioneins, growth, and antioxidative defenses in the aquatic worm Tubifex tubifex (Oligochaeta, Tubificidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Mosleh, Yahia Y; Paris-Palacios, Séverine; Couderchet, Michel; Biagianti-Risbourg, Sylvie; Vernet, Guy

2005-07-01

Metallothioneins (MTs) are low molecular weight proteins, mainly implicated in metal ion detoxification. Increase in MT contents is considered to be a specific biomarker of metal exposure. Recently it has been demonstrated that MTs participate in several cellular functions such as regulation of growth, and antioxidative defenses. Therefore, the induction of MTs as biomarkers of exposure to the pesticide isoproturon has been investigated in the aquatic worms Tubifex tubifex. MT levels in exposed worms increased significantly (p isoproturon (maximum increase compared to unexposed controls: +148.56% for 10 mg l(-1) after 4 days of exposure). In response to isoproturon, the activity of glutathione-S-transferase (max. +52%), glutathione-reductase (max. +100%), and catalase (max. +117%) increased, demonstrating the occurrence of an oxidative stress response to the herbicide. Thus, the increase in MT contents caused by isoproturon was interpreted as a defense response towards increased oxidative stress generated by the herbicide. Residues of isoproturon and its metabolites, 1-(4-isopropylphenyl)-3-methylurea, 1-(4-isopropylphenyl) urea, and 4-isopropylanilin were detected in the worm growth medium. Half-life of the herbicide was shorter at a low (0.1 mg l(-1)) initial concentration. The herbicide accumulated in T. tubifex but no metabolite could be detected.

The research of hourglass worm dynamic balancing simulation based on SolidWorks motion

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhuangzhuang; Yang, Jie; Liu, Pingyi; Zhao, Junpeng

2018-02-01

Hourglass worm is extensively used in industry due to its characteristic of heavy-load and a large reduction ratio. Varying sizes of unbalanced mass distribution appeared in the design of a single head worm. With machines developing towards higher speed and precision, the vibration and shock caused by the unbalanced mass distribution of rotating parts must be considered. Therefore, the balance grade of these parts must meet higher requirements. A method based on theoretical analysis and SolidWorks motion software simulation is presented in this paper; the virtual dynamic balance simulation test of the hourglass worm was carried out during the design of the product, so as to ensure that the hourglass worm meet the requirements of dynamic balance in the design process. This can effectively support the structural design of the hourglass worm and provide a way of thinking and designing the same type of products.

Intraocular live male filarial Loa loa worm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Omgbwa Eballe

2009-02-01

Full Text Available André Omgbwa Eballe1, Emillienne Epée2, Godefroy Koki2, Didier Owono2, Côme Ebana Mvogo2, Assumpta Lucienne Bella21Gynaeco Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon; 2Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, CameroonAbstract: We report a case of Loa loa filariasis in an 8-month-old child who presented with a 3-month history of irritated acute red eye and insomnia. Examination revealed a living and active adult Loa loa worm in the anterior chamber of the left eye. The worm was extracted under general anesthetic.Keywords: Loa loa, red eye, Cameroon

SCOPS and COWS--'worming it out of UK farmers'.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, M A

2012-05-04

Infections with gastrointestinal roundworms are an important cause of production losses in sheep and cattle. Worm control is a vital part of health and production management in sheep flocks and cattle herds in the UK, and good control is highly dependent on effective anthelmintics. Unfortunately, a direct and unavoidable consequence of using anthelmintics to control worm populations is selection for individuals that are resistant to the chemicals used. If left unchecked, anthelmintic resistance (AR) could prove to be one of the biggest challenges to sheep and cattle production and animal welfare within the UK. As a consequence of increasing reports of AR in sheep, a working group, "SCOPS" (sustainable control of parasites in sheep) was formed in 2003 with representatives from the UK sheep industry to promote practical guidelines for sheep farmers and their advisors. This led to the production of guidelines for 'sustainable worm control strategies for sheep' intended for veterinarians and sheep advisors, plus ongoing promotional literature aimed at farmers. Whilst there is some evidence of emerging resistance in roundworms of cattle, it appears to still be at a very low level in the UK. However the potential presence of such AR in cattle worms has been seen as a timely warning, which if ignored, could lead to a not dissimilar AR situation to that seen in sheep, and in other cattle areas around the world. Reports of AR in UK cattle nematodes have generally been limited to a small number of anecdotal reports of treatment failure with some macrocyclic lactone (ML) products, especially those formulated as pour-on preparations, and invariably involving the dose-limiting species, Cooperia oncophora. As a consequence of these observations, guidelines have been produced similar to those for sheep, for sustainable worm control strategies for cattle "COWS" (control of worms sustainably), and were launched in May 2010. Uptake and effectiveness of SCOPS recommendations are

Hybrid Epidemics - A Case Study on Computer Worm Conficker

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Changwang; Zhou, Shi; Chain, Benjamin M.

2014-01-01

Conficker is a computer worm that erupted on the Internet in 2008. It is unique in combining three different spreading strategies: local probing, neighbourhood probing, and global probing. We propose a mathematical model that combines three modes of spreading: local, neighbourhood, and global, to capture the worm's spreading behaviour. The parameters of the model are inferred directly from network data obtained during the first day of the Conficker epidemic. The model is then used to explore ...

Logistics of Guinea worm disease eradication in South Sudan.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Alexander H; Becknell, Steven; Withers, P Craig; Ruiz-Tiben, Ernesto; Hopkins, Donald R; Stobbelaar, David; Makoy, Samuel Yibi

2014-03-01

From 2006 to 2012, the South Sudan Guinea Worm Eradication Program reduced new Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) cases by over 90%, despite substantial programmatic challenges. Program logistics have played a key role in program achievements to date. The program uses disease surveillance and program performance data and integrated technical-logistical staffing to maintain flexible and effective logistical support for active community-based surveillance and intervention delivery in thousands of remote communities. Lessons learned from logistical design and management can resonate across similar complex surveillance and public health intervention delivery programs, such as mass drug administration for the control of neglected tropical diseases and other disease eradication programs. Logistical challenges in various public health scenarios and the pivotal contribution of logistics to Guinea worm case reductions in South Sudan underscore the need for additional inquiry into the role of logistics in public health programming in low-income countries.

Chemistry and the worm: Caenorhabditis elegans as a platform for integrating chemical and biological research.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulme, S Elizabeth; Whitesides, George M

2011-05-16

This Review discusses the potential usefulness of the worm Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism for chemists interested in studying living systems. C. elegans, a 1 mm long roundworm, is a popular model organism in almost all areas of modern biology. The worm has several features that make it attractive for biology: it is small (1000 cells), transparent, and genetically tractable. Despite its simplicity, the worm exhibits complex phenotypes associated with multicellularity: the worm has differentiated cells and organs, it ages and has a well-defined lifespan, and it is capable of learning and remembering. This Review argues that the balance between simplicity and complexity in the worm will make it a useful tool in determining the relationship between molecular-scale phenomena and organism-level phenomena, such as aging, behavior, cognition, and disease. Following an introduction to worm biology, the Review provides examples of current research with C. elegans that is chemically relevant. It also describes tools-biological, chemical, and physical-that are available to researchers studying the worm. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The effect of chloroquine on the male worms of Onchocerca volvulus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Chloroqunie is a well-known anti-malaria drug commonly used in the tropics. Chloroquine was in this study, tested on adult male worms of Onchocerca volvulus to assess its possible effect. Male worms were mechanically isolated from nodules of untreated onchocerciasis patients. After 24hours incubation in a drug-free ...

Hydrolytic Degradation of Poly (ethylene oxide)-block-Polycaprolactone Worm Micelles

OpenAIRE

Geng, Yan; Discher, Dennis E.

2005-01-01

Spherical micelles and nanoparticles made with degradable polymers have been of great interest for therapeutic application, but degradation induced changes in a spherical morphology can be subtle and mechanism/kinetics appears poorly understood. Here, we report the first preparation of giant and flexible worm micelles self-assembled from degradable copolymer poly (ethylene oxide)-block-polycaprolactone. Such worm micelles spontaneously shorten to generate spherical micelles, triggered by poly...

Guinea worm infection in northern Nigeria: reflections on a disease approaching eradication.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenwood, Brian; Greenwood, Alice; Bradley, Andrew

2017-05-01

Global eradication of the guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis) is near, although perhaps delayed a little by the discovery of a transmission cycle in dogs. It is therefore an appropriate time to reflect on the severe impact of this infection on the life of the communities where it was endemic prior to the start of the global eradication programme in 1981. From 1971 to 1974, we conducted a series of unpublished studies on guinea worm in a group of villages in Katsina State, northern Nigeria, where the infection was highly endemic. These studies demonstrated the high rate of infection in affected communities, the frequent recurrence of the infection in some subjects and the long-standing disability that remained in some infected individuals. Immunological studies showed a high level of immediate hypersensitivity to adult worm and larval antigens but a downregulation of Th1-type T-cell responses to worm antigens. Freeing communities such as those described in this article from the scourge of guinea worm infection for good will be an important public health triumph. © 2017 The Authors. Tropical Medicine & International Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An Epidemic Model of Computer Worms with Time Delay and Variable Infection Rate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Yao

2018-01-01

Full Text Available With rapid development of Internet, network security issues become increasingly serious. Temporary patches have been put on the infectious hosts, which may lose efficacy on occasions. This leads to a time delay when vaccinated hosts change to susceptible hosts. On the other hand, the worm infection is usually a nonlinear process. Considering the actual situation, a variable infection rate is introduced to describe the spread process of worms. According to above aspects, we propose a time-delayed worm propagation model with variable infection rate. Then the existence condition and the stability of the positive equilibrium are derived. Due to the existence of time delay, the worm propagation system may be unstable and out of control. Moreover, the threshold τ0 of Hopf bifurcation is obtained. The worm propagation system is stable if time delay is less than τ0. When time delay is over τ0, the system will be unstable. In addition, numerical experiments have been performed, which can match the conclusions we deduce. The numerical experiments also show that there exists a threshold in the parameter a, which implies that we should choose appropriate infection rate β(t to constrain worm prevalence. Finally, simulation experiments are carried out to prove the validity of our conclusions.

Hybrid epidemics--a case study on computer worm conficker.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Changwang Zhang

Full Text Available Conficker is a computer worm that erupted on the Internet in 2008. It is unique in combining three different spreading strategies: local probing, neighbourhood probing, and global probing. We propose a mathematical model that combines three modes of spreading: local, neighbourhood, and global, to capture the worm's spreading behaviour. The parameters of the model are inferred directly from network data obtained during the first day of the Conficker epidemic. The model is then used to explore the tradeoff between spreading modes in determining the worm's effectiveness. Our results show that the Conficker epidemic is an example of a critically hybrid epidemic, in which the different modes of spreading in isolation do not lead to successful epidemics. Such hybrid spreading strategies may be used beneficially to provide the most effective strategies for promulgating information across a large population. When used maliciously, however, they can present a dangerous challenge to current internet security protocols.

Hybrid epidemics--a case study on computer worm conficker.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Changwang; Zhou, Shi; Chain, Benjamin M

2015-01-01

Conficker is a computer worm that erupted on the Internet in 2008. It is unique in combining three different spreading strategies: local probing, neighbourhood probing, and global probing. We propose a mathematical model that combines three modes of spreading: local, neighbourhood, and global, to capture the worm's spreading behaviour. The parameters of the model are inferred directly from network data obtained during the first day of the Conficker epidemic. The model is then used to explore the tradeoff between spreading modes in determining the worm's effectiveness. Our results show that the Conficker epidemic is an example of a critically hybrid epidemic, in which the different modes of spreading in isolation do not lead to successful epidemics. Such hybrid spreading strategies may be used beneficially to provide the most effective strategies for promulgating information across a large population. When used maliciously, however, they can present a dangerous challenge to current internet security protocols.

Worms in the College Classroom: More than Just a Composting Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Rebecca L.

2010-01-01

Although worm bins have been used by K-12 and nonformal educators for decades, there is little evidence of their use in postsecondary education. The ease of use, maintenance, affordability, portability, and diversity of scientific concepts that can be demonstrated with a worm bin make it a valuable tool in college science classrooms. The purpose…

WormSizer: high-throughput analysis of nematode size and shape.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brad T Moore

Full Text Available The fundamental phenotypes of growth rate, size and morphology are the result of complex interactions between genotype and environment. We developed a high-throughput software application, WormSizer, which computes size and shape of nematodes from brightfield images. Existing methods for estimating volume either coarsely model the nematode as a cylinder or assume the worm shape or opacity is invariant. Our estimate is more robust to changes in morphology or optical density as it only assumes radial symmetry. This open source software is written as a plugin for the well-known image-processing framework Fiji/ImageJ. It may therefore be extended easily. We evaluated the technical performance of this framework, and we used it to analyze growth and shape of several canonical Caenorhabditis elegans mutants in a developmental time series. We confirm quantitatively that a Dumpy (Dpy mutant is short and fat and that a Long (Lon mutant is long and thin. We show that daf-2 insulin-like receptor mutants are larger than wild-type upon hatching but grow slow, and WormSizer can distinguish dauer larvae from normal larvae. We also show that a Small (Sma mutant is actually smaller than wild-type at all stages of larval development. WormSizer works with Uncoordinated (Unc and Roller (Rol mutants as well, indicating that it can be used with mutants despite behavioral phenotypes. We used our complete data set to perform a power analysis, giving users a sense of how many images are needed to detect different effect sizes. Our analysis confirms and extends on existing phenotypic characterization of well-characterized mutants, demonstrating the utility and robustness of WormSizer.

Plutonium isotope ratios in polychaete worms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beasley, T.M.; Fowler, S.W.

1976-01-01

Reference is made to recent reports that suggest that terrestrial and aquatic organisms may preferentially take up 238 Pu compared with sup(239+240)Pu. It is stated that although kinetic isotope effects are known to occur in biological systems for low mass number elements, such as H, C and N, such effects are generally discounted with higher mass numbers, and differences in the biological 'uptake' of isotopes of high mass number elements, such as those of Pu, are normally attributable to differences in the chemical or physical forms of the isotopes or to different quantities of isotopes available to organisms. This has been applied to explain differential Pu isotope behaviour in animals under controlled laboratory conditions, but it is not certain that it can be applied to explain anomalies of Pu isotope behaviour in organisms contaminated by nuclear test debris or by wastes from nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. Geochemical weathering may also have an effect. Described here are experiments in which it was found that deposit feeding marine worms living in sediments contaminated in different ways with Pu isotopes did not show preferential accumulation of 238 Pu. The worms had been exposed to different chemical and physical forms of the isotopes, including exposure to laboratory-labelled sediment, sediment collected from a former weapons test site, and sediment contaminated by wastes from a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. The worms were allowed to accumulate Pu for times of 5 to 40 days. Isotope ratios were determined by α-spectrometric techniques. It is considered that the results are important for environmental samples where Pu activity levels are low. (U.K.)

Aquatic worm reactor for improved sludge processing and resource recovery

OpenAIRE

Hendrickx, T.L.G.

2009-01-01

Municipal waste water treatment is mainly achieved by biological processes. These processes produce huge volumes of waste sludge (up 1.5 million m3/year in the Netherlands). Further processing of the waste sludge involves transportation, thickening and incineration. A decrease in the amount of waste sludge would be both environmentally and economically attractive. Aquatic worms can be used to reduce the amount of waste sludge. After predation by the worms, the amount of final sludge is lower....

Biosorption of uranium by cross-linked and alginate immobilized residual biomass from distillery spent wash

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bustard, M.; McHale, A.P.

1997-01-01

Residual biomass from a whiskey distillery was examined for its ability to function as a biosorbent for uranium. Biomass recovered and lyophilised exhibited a maximum biosorption capacity of 165-170 mg uranium/g dry weight biomass at 15 C. With a view towards the development of continuous or semi-continuous flow biosorption processes it was decided to immobilize the material by (1) cross-linking with formaldehyde and (2) introducing that material into alginate matrices. Cross-linking the recovered biomass resulted in the formation of a biosorbent preparation with a maximum biosorption capacity of 185-190 mg/g dry weight biomass at 15 C. Following immobilization of biomass in alginate matrices it was found that the total amount of uranium bound to the matrix did not change with increasing amounts of biomass immobilized. It was found however, that the proportion of uranium bound to the biomass within the alginate-biomass matrix increased with increasing biomass concentration. Further analysis of these preparations demonstrated that the alginate-biomass matrix had a maximum biosorption capacity of 220 mg uranium/g dry weight of the matrix, even at low concentrations of biomass. (orig.). With 3 figs., 1 tab

Biosorption of uranium by cross-linked and alginate immobilized residual biomass from distillery spent wash

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bustard, M. [Biotechnology Research Group, School of Applied Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine (United Kingdom); McHale, A.P. [Biotechnology Research Group, School of Applied Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine (United Kingdom)

1997-08-01

Residual biomass from a whiskey distillery was examined for its ability to function as a biosorbent for uranium. Biomass recovered and lyophilised exhibited a maximum biosorption capacity of 165-170 mg uranium/g dry weight biomass at 15 C. With a view towards the development of continuous or semi-continuous flow biosorption processes it was decided to immobilize the material by (1) cross-linking with formaldehyde and (2) introducing that material into alginate matrices. Cross-linking the recovered biomass resulted in the formation of a biosorbent preparation with a maximum biosorption capacity of 185-190 mg/g dry weight biomass at 15 C. Following immobilization of biomass in alginate matrices it was found that the total amount of uranium bound to the matrix did not change with increasing amounts of biomass immobilized. It was found however, that the proportion of uranium bound to the biomass within the alginate-biomass matrix increased with increasing biomass concentration. Further analysis of these preparations demonstrated that the alginate-biomass matrix had a maximum biosorption capacity of 220 mg uranium/g dry weight of the matrix, even at low concentrations of biomass. (orig.). With 3 figs., 1 tab.

Plankton composition and biomass development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, H.H.; Jepsen, P.M.; Blanda, E.

2016-01-01

Plankton food web dynamics were studied during a complete production season in a semi-intensive land-based facility for rearing of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) larvae. The production season was divided into three production cycles of 3–5 weeks. Phytoplankton biomass (using chlorophyll a as biomass...... proxy) peaked in each production cycle. However, the maximum biomass decreased from spring (18 μg chlorophyll a L−1) to fall (ca. 7 μg chlorophyll a L−1), simultaneous with a decline in the concentration of dissolved nitrogen in the inoculating water. During the three production cycles, we observed...

Distribution, abundance and trail characteristics of acorn worms at Australian continental margins

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, T. J.; Przeslawski, R.; Tran, M.

2011-04-01

Acorn worms (Enteropneusta), which were previously thought to be a missing link in understanding the evolution of chordates, are an unusual and potentially important component of many deep-sea benthic environments, particularly for nutrient cycling. Very little is known about their distribution, abundance, or behaviour in deep-sea environments around the world, and almost nothing is known about their distribution within Australian waters. In this study, we take advantage of two large-scale deep-sea mapping surveys along the eastern (northern Lord Howe Rise) and western continental margins of Australia to quantify the distribution, abundance and trail-forming behaviour of this highly unusual taxon. This is the first study to quantify the abundance and trail behaviour of acorn worms within Australian waters and provides the first evidence of strong depth-related distributions. Acorn worm densities and trail activity were concentrated between transect-averaged depths of 1600 and 3000 m in both eastern and western continental margins. The shallow limit of their depth distribution was 1600 m. The deeper limit was less well-defined, as individuals were found in small numbers below 3000 down to 4225 m. This distributional pattern may reflect a preference for these depths, possibly due to higher availability of nutrients, rather than a physiological constraint to greater depths. Sediment characteristics alone were poor predictors of acorn worm densities and trail activity. High densities of acorn worms and trails were associated with sandy-mud sediments, but similar sediment characteristics in either shallower or deeper areas did not support similar densities of acorn worms or trails. Trail shapes varied between eastern and western margins, with proportionally more meandering trails recorded in the east, while spiral and meandering trails were both common in the west. Trail shape varied by depth, with spiral-shaped trails dominant in areas of high acorn worm densities

Worms Eat My Garbage. How To Set Up and Maintain a Worm Composting System. First Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Appelhof, Mary

This book is a resource for parents and teachers who want to teach about recycling and composting by setting up and maintaining a worm composting system. It is designed to be a detailed yet simple manual of vermicomposting. The manual covers the basics of vermicomposting and answers such questions as where to store a composting container, what…

WormGender - Open-Source Software for Automatic Caenorhabditis elegans Sex Ratio Measurement.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta K Labocha

Full Text Available Fast and quantitative analysis of animal phenotypes is one of the major challenges of current biology. Here we report the WormGender open-source software, which is designed for accurate quantification of sex ratio in Caenorhabditis elegans. The software functions include, i automatic recognition and counting of adult hermaphrodites and males, ii a manual inspection feature that enables manual correction of errors, and iii flexibility to use new training images to optimize the software for different imaging conditions. We evaluated the performance of our software by comparing manual and automated assessment of sex ratio. Our data showed that the WormGender software provided overall accurate sex ratio measurements. We further demonstrated the usage of WormGender by quantifying the high incidence of male (him phenotype in 27 mutant strains. Mutants of nine genes (brc-1, C30G12.6, cep-1, coh-3, him-3, him-5, him-8, skr-1, unc-86 showed significant him phenotype. The WormGender is written in Java and can be installed and run on both Windows and Mac platforms. The source code is freely available together with a user manual and sample data at http://www.QuantWorm.org/. The source code and sample data are also available at http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1541248.

Comparison of sup(115m)Cd accumulation from sediments and sea water by polychaete worms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueda, Taishi; Nakamura, Ryoichi; Suzuki, Yuzuru

1976-01-01

To know the role played by marine sediments in influencing the fate of discharged metals, (1) the interaction of metals between sediments and deposit-feeder marine worms (Nereis japonica), and (2) uptake and excretion of metals by worms were examined by laboratory experiments using sup(115m)Cd. Worms directly in contact with sup(115m)Cd-sediments accumulated sup(115m)Cd six times more than worms that were not in contact with the sup(115m)Cd sediments during the 8 days of experimentation and 12% of sup(115m)Cd in sediments were noted to be transfered to worms per unit. Comparing the concentration factor of 22 (from sea water) with accumulation from sediments, it was assumed that sup(115m)Cd in sediments would give the effect of 1/200 to the accumulation of sup(115m)Cd by worms in sea water to the accumulation of sup(115m)Cd. Further, to simulate these results close to that occuring in the natural ecosystem, the distribution of sup(115m)Cd in sea water, sediments and alga were also examined by means of a curve analysis of the distribution pattern by a three compartment model. It proved that the activity ratios of sup(115m)Cd were 9 for sediments and 21 for alga, which was similar to 22 for worms. (auth.)

Hydrolytic degradation of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polycaprolactone worm micelles.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Yan; Discher, Dennis E

2005-09-21

Spherical micelles and nanoparticles made with degradable polymers have been of great interest for therapeutic application, but degradation-induced changes in a spherical morphology can be subtle and mechanism/kinetics appears poorly understood. Here, we report the first preparation of giant and flexible worm micelles self-assembled from degradable copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polycaprolactone. Such worm micelles spontaneously shorten to generate spherical micelles, triggered by polycaprolactone hydrolysis, with distinct mechanism and kinetics from that which occurs in bulk material.

Propagation Modeling and Defending of a Mobile Sensor Worm in Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tian; Wu, Qun; Wen, Sheng; Cai, Yiqiao; Tian, Hui; Chen, Yonghong; Wang, Baowei

2017-01-13

WSANs (Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks) are derived from traditional wireless sensor networks by introducing mobile actuator elements. Previous studies indicated that mobile actuators can improve network performance in terms of data collection, energy supplementation, etc. However, according to our experimental simulations, the actuator's mobility also causes the sensor worm to spread faster if an attacker launches worm attacks on an actuator and compromises it successfully. Traditional worm propagation models and defense strategies did not consider the diffusion with a mobile worm carrier. To address this new problem, we first propose a microscopic mathematical model to describe the propagation dynamics of the sensor worm. Then, a two-step local defending strategy (LDS) with a mobile patcher (a mobile element which can distribute patches) is designed to recover the network. In LDS, all recovering operations are only taken in a restricted region to minimize the cost. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that our model estimations are rather accurate and consistent with the actual spreading scenario of the mobile sensor worm. Moreover, on average, the LDS outperforms other algorithms by approximately 50% in terms of the cost.

Cuticular surface damage of Ascaridia galli adult worms treated with Veitchia merrillii betel nuts extract in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Balqis, Ummu; Hambal, Muhammad; Rinidar; Athaillah, Farida; Ismail; Azhar; Vanda, Henni; Darmawi

2017-07-01

The objective of this research was to in vitro evaluate the cuticular surface damage of Ascaridia galli adult worms treated with ethanolic extract of betel nuts Veitchia merrillii . Phytochemical screening was done using FeCl 3 , Wagner and Dragendorff reagents, NaOH, MgHCl, and Liebermann-Burchard reaction test. Amount of 16 worms were segregated into four groups with three replicates. Four worms of each group submerged into phosphate buffered saline, 25 mg/ml, and 75 mg/ml crude ethanolic extract of V. merrillii , and 15 mg/ml albendazole. The effect of these extract was observed 40 h after incubation as soon as worms death. The worms were sectioned transversally and were explored for any cuticular histopathological changes in their body surface under microscope. We found that the ethanolic extract of V. merrillii betel nuts contains tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and saponins. The ethanolic extract of betel nuts V. merrillii induces surface alterations caused cuticular damage of A. galli adult worms. We concluded that ethanolic extract of betel nuts V. merrillii possess anthelmintic activity caused cuticular damage of A. galli adult worms.

Marine biomass power plant using methane fermentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsui, T.; Saito, H.; Amano, T.; Sugawara, H.; Seki, T.; Abe, T. [Technology Research Inst., Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

2004-07-01

This study presented an effective way to produce biogas from the large quantities of seaweed waste in Japan. A large-scale marine biomass pilot plant was built to produce biogas from marine biomass. Methane fermentation was the process used to produce biogas from Laminaria sp. The maximum treating capacity of the pilot plant is 1 ton of seaweed per day. The pilot plant includes a pretreatment facility, fermentation, biogas storage and power generation. The maximum methane yield from the biomass plant is 22 cubic ton-seaweed. The purified biogas has generated 10 kW of electricity and 23 kW of heat. The biogas was also mixed with natural gas for use in a gas engine generator. The engine operation remained stable despite changes in quantity and composition of the collected biogas caused by changes with the source of biomass and sea conditions. The thermal efficiency of the gas engine running on mixed biogas and natural gas was more than 10 per cent higher than an engine running on biogas fuel alone. 4 refs., 2 tabs., 3 figs.

WormBase 2016: expanding to enable helminth genomic research.

Science.gov (United States)

Howe, Kevin L; Bolt, Bruce J; Cain, Scott; Chan, Juancarlos; Chen, Wen J; Davis, Paul; Done, James; Down, Thomas; Gao, Sibyl; Grove, Christian; Harris, Todd W; Kishore, Ranjana; Lee, Raymond; Lomax, Jane; Li, Yuling; Muller, Hans-Michael; Nakamura, Cecilia; Nuin, Paulo; Paulini, Michael; Raciti, Daniela; Schindelman, Gary; Stanley, Eleanor; Tuli, Mary Ann; Van Auken, Kimberly; Wang, Daniel; Wang, Xiaodong; Williams, Gary; Wright, Adam; Yook, Karen; Berriman, Matthew; Kersey, Paul; Schedl, Tim; Stein, Lincoln; Sternberg, Paul W

2016-01-04

WormBase (www.wormbase.org) is a central repository for research data on the biology, genetics and genomics of Caenorhabditis elegans and other nematodes. The project has evolved from its original remit to collect and integrate all data for a single species, and now extends to numerous nematodes, ranging from evolutionary comparators of C. elegans to parasitic species that threaten plant, animal and human health. Research activity using C. elegans as a model system is as vibrant as ever, and we have created new tools for community curation in response to the ever-increasing volume and complexity of data. To better allow users to navigate their way through these data, we have made a number of improvements to our main website, including new tools for browsing genomic features and ontology annotations. Finally, we have developed a new portal for parasitic worm genomes. WormBase ParaSite (parasite.wormbase.org) contains all publicly available nematode and platyhelminth annotated genome sequences, and is designed specifically to support helminth genomic research. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Operation of an aquatic worm reactor suitable for sludge reduction at large scale

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendrickx, T.L.G.; Elissen, H.J.H.; Temmink, B.G.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2011-01-01

Treatment of domestic waste water results in the production of waste sludge, which requires costly further processing. A biological method to reduce the amount of waste sludge and its volume is treatment in an aquatic worm reactor. The potential of such a worm reactor with the oligochaete

Influencia de la lubricación en la eficiencia de engranajes de tornillo sinfín//Influence of oil lubrication on cylindrical worm gear efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonzalo González-Rey

2012-12-01

worm gear efficiency at approximately44 % when gears are lubricated with synthetic oils in substitution of mineral oils. Finally, an importantrecommendation to calculate a rational module for maximum worm gear efficiency with syntheticlubrication is presented.Key words: efficiency, worm gear, lubricant, lubrication, synthetic oil, ISO/TR 145281.

Structure and flexibility of worm-like micelles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jerke, G.; Pedersen, J.S.; Egelhaaf, S.U.

1997-01-01

Small-angle neutron scattering and static light scattering experiments have been performed on worm-like micelles formed by soybean lecithin and trace amounts of water in deuterated iso-octane. The structure and flexibility of the aggregates have been investigated as a function of solution...

Spatial and temporal differences in giant kidney worm, dictophyma renale, prevalence in Minnesota Mink, Mustela vison

Science.gov (United States)

Mech, L.D.

2008-01-01

Examination of 110 Mink (Mustela vison) carcasses from 1998 through 2007 indicated that the giant kidney worm, Dioctophyma renale, occurred in Pine and Kanabec Counties of eastern Minnesota with annual prevalences of 0-92%. Worm prevalence increased from 20% in 1999 to 92% in 2001 and decreased to 6% in 2005. During 2000 to 2007, no worms were found in Mink from Anoka and Chisago Counties (n = 54), and in 2000, none in 107 Mink from LeSeur, Freeborn, Redwood, Brown and Watonwan Counties. Changes in kidney worm prevalence were positively related to trapping success, considered an index of Mink density.

The provision of potable water in eradication of Guinea worm infection in Ezza North, Southeastern, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ede, Alison Okorie; Nwaokoro, Joakin Chidozie; Iwuala, C C; Amadi, A N; Akpelu, Ugochinyere Alvana

2014-10-01

Guinea worm is a parasite found in unprotected drinking water sources, causes considerable morbidity and loss of agricultural production among rural people. The study was to determine the current status of Guinea worm infection in Ezza North and to evaluate the impact of control measures on guinea worm infection. A total of 200 individuals in Ezza North Southeastern, Nigeria were examined for guinea worm infection. A standardized questionnaire was used to determine the effect of potable water on guinea worm eradication/control, the source of drinking water, information on the knowledge, attitude, symptom management practices, availability of health facilities and boreholes installation status. The instrument for data collection was well constructed, validated and reliable tested questionnaire by an expert. Data obtained was analyzed using Epi-Info model 3.4 versions. Results of a study indicated majority of the respondents 195 (97.5 %) have access to safe drinking water supply which indicated no case of Guinea worm infection. The active use of potable water supply was found among the age group of 20-30 years 71 (35.5 %) and higher in male (57.5 %) than females (42.5 %). The drastic reduction of Guinea worm infection to zero (0) level in Ezza North were due to multiple factors as health education, availability of functional boreholes, presence of health centers for immediate treatment if any case discovered.

Worm grunting, fiddling, and charming--humans unknowingly mimic a predator to harvest bait.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenneth C Catania

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: For generations many families in and around Florida's Apalachicola National Forest have supported themselves by collecting the large endemic earthworms (Diplocardia mississippiensis. This is accomplished by vibrating a wooden stake driven into the soil, a practice called "worm grunting". In response to the vibrations, worms emerge to the surface where thousands can be gathered in a few hours. Why do these earthworms suddenly exit their burrows in response to vibrations, exposing themselves to predation? PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here it is shown that a population of eastern American moles (Scalopus aquaticus inhabits the area where worms are collected and that earthworms have a pronounced escape response from moles consisting of rapidly exiting their burrows to flee across the soil surface. Recordings of vibrations generated by bait collectors and moles suggest that "worm grunters" unknowingly mimic digging moles. An alternative possibility, that worms interpret vibrations as rain and surface to avoid drowning is not supported. CONCLUSIONS: Previous investigations have revealed that both wood turtles and herring gulls vibrate the ground to elicit earthworm escapes, indicating that a range of predators may exploit the predator-prey relationship between earthworms and moles. In addition to revealing a novel escape response that may be widespread among soil fauna, the results show that humans have played the role of "rare predators" in exploiting the consequences of a sensory arms race.

Tropical Africa: Land use, biomass, and carbon estimates for 1980

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, S. [Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR (United States). Western Ecology Division; Gaston, G. [Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR (United States). National Research Council; Daniels, R.C. [ed.] [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1996-06-01

This document describes the contents of a digital database containing maximum potential aboveground biomass, land use, and estimated biomass and carbon data for 1980 and describes a methodology that may be used to extend this data set to 1990 and beyond based on population and land cover data. The biomass data and carbon estimates are for woody vegetation in Tropical Africa. These data were collected to reduce the uncertainty associated with the possible magnitude of historical releases of carbon from land use change. Tropical Africa is defined here as encompassing 22.7 x 10{sup 6} km{sup 2} of the earth`s land surface and includes those countries that for the most part are located in Tropical Africa. Countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and in southern Africa (i.e., Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Western Sahara) have maximum potential biomass and land cover information but do not have biomass or carbon estimate. The database was developed using the GRID module in the ARC/INFO{sup TM} geographic information system. Source data were obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the U.S. National Geophysical Data Center, and a limited number of biomass-carbon density case studies. These data were used to derive the maximum potential and actual (ca. 1980) aboveground biomass-carbon values at regional and country levels. The land-use data provided were derived from a vegetation map originally produced for the FAO by the International Institute of Vegetation Mapping, Toulouse, France.

Optimization of biomass-producing conditions of Micrococcus sp. S ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Then these three variables were optimized by Box-behnken experimental design and response surface methodology, and a multinomial equation was constructed to describe the correlation between the biomass production and the three tested variables. By solving to this equation, the predicted maximum biomass was ...

Sago worms as a nutritious traditional and alternative food for rural children in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Nirmala, Intan R; Trees; Suwarni; Pramono, Mochammad S

2017-06-01

The sago worm Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is a nutritious food source found in the remaining parts of a sago palm trunk after the removal of sago starch by farmers. The effort to increase sago worm consumption is investigated in an intervention study among children aged eating a usual diet, but without sago worms (n=13). Snacks were served once per day (100 g) for 45 days and designed to contain similar amounts of vegetables (carrots and long beans) and other ingredients including rice, sticky rice, cassava, sweet potato, banana, or tofu with or without sago worms. Food preference was ascertained by interview. Anthropometric measurements were taken at baseline and the endpoint. After mixing all food stuffs into one product for instance nasi gurih, protein and fat content in the intervention group was higher compared to control group (8.8 g and 7.3 g vs 4.7 g and 0.5 g respectively). In the intervention group receiving complementary feeding with sago worms, children's height changed minimally as did the control group (0.3 vs 0.2 cm); no difference was observed between the groups regarding weight or height. Sago worm consumption can diversify the diet through usage in various dishes, so improving its overall nutritional quality. Worm addition in an intervention program does not compromise, but maintains nutritional value. Local use adds affordability and sustainability to the food and health systems in a sago-consuming culture, so contributing to food security.

Hi shells, supershells, shell-like objects, and ''worms''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heiles, C.

1984-01-01

We present photographic representations of the combination of two Hi surveys, so as to eliminate the survey boundaries at Vertical BarbVertical Bar = 10 0 . We also present high-contrast photographs for particular velocities to exhibit weak Hi features. All of these photographs were used to prepare a new list of Hi shells, supershells, and shell-like objects. We discuss the structure of three shell-like objects that are associated with high-velocity gas, and with gas at all velocities that is associated with radio continuum loops I, II, and III. We use spatial filtering to find wiggly gas filaments: ''worms'': crawling away from the galactic plane in the inner Galaxy. The ''worms'' are probably parts of shells that are open at the top; such shells should be good sources of hot gas for the galactic halo

ADVANCED BIOMASS REBURNING FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY NOx CONTROL AND BIOMASS REBURNING - MODELING/ENGINEERING STUDIES JOINT FINAL REPORT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vladimir M. Zamansky; Mark S. Sheldon; Vitali V. Lissianski; Peter M. Maly; David K. Moyeda; Antonio Marquez; W. Randall Seeker

2000-10-01

This report presents results of studies under a Phase II SBIR program funded by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and a closely coordinated project sponsored by the DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL, formerly FETC). The overall Phase II objective of the SBIR project is to experimentally optimize the biomass reburning technologies and conduct engineering design studies needed for process demonstration at full scale. The DOE project addresses supporting issues for the process design including modeling activities, economic studies of biomass handling, and experimental evaluation of slagging and fouling. The performance of biomass has been examined in a 300 kW (1 x 10{sup 6} Btu/hr) Boiler Simulator Facility under different experimental conditions. Fuels under investigation include furniture waste, willow wood and walnut shells. Tests showed that furniture pellets and walnut shells provided similar NO{sub x} control as that of natural gas in basic reburning at low heat inputs. Maximum NO{sub x} reduction achieved with walnut shell and furniture pellets was 65% and 58% respectively. Willow wood provided a maximum NO{sub x} reduction of 50% and was no better than natural gas at any condition tested. The efficiency of biomass increases when N-agent is injected into reburning and/or burnout zones, or along with OFA (Advanced Reburning). Co-injection of Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3} with N-agent further increases efficiency of NO{sub x} reduction. Maximum NO{sub x} reduction achieved with furniture pellets and willow wood in Advanced Reburning was 83% and 78% respectively. All combustion experiments of the Phase II project have been completed. All objectives of the experimental tasks were successfully met. The kinetic model of biomass reburning has been developed. Model agrees with experimental data for a wide range of initial conditions and thus correctly represents main features of the reburning process. Modeling suggests that the most important factors that provide

In vitro effects of amodiaquine on paired Schistosoma mansoni adult worms at concentrations of less than 5 µg/mL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kentaro Kato

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, the in vitro effects of amodiaquine (AQ monotherapy on the egg output of paired adult Schistosoma mansoni worms and their survival during in vitro culture were assessed. In addition, the gross morphological alterations of male and female worms caused by AQ were visually observed under a dissecting microscope. AQ significantly reduced the daily egg output of paired adult S. mansoni worms following incubation for 14 days at 1-5 µg/mL, but not at 0.5 µg/mL, compared with the control group. AQ also reduced the survival of male and female worms at concentrations of 2 and 5 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, exposure to 5 µg/mL AQ caused severe swelling and/or localisation of black content in the body of all male and female worms within one or two days of incubation; subsequently, shrinkage in the male worms and elongation in the female worms were observed. The initial morphological alterations caused by AQ occurred along the intestinal tract of the male and female worms. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report not only the efficacy of AQ at concentrations lower than 5 µg/mL on paired adult S. mansoni worms, but also the effects of AQ on the intestinal tracts of worms in in vitro culture.

Integrating spatial and biomass planning for the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Sicong; Wang, Shifeng

2016-01-01

Biomass is low-carbon energy and has tremendous potential as an alternative to fossil fuels. However, the significant role of biomass in future low-carbon energy portfolio depends heavily on its consumption. The paper presents a first attempt to examine the spatial-temporal patterns of biomass consumption in the United States (US), using a novel method-spatial Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) model, in order to strengthen the link between energy planning and spatial planning. In order to obtain the robust parameters of spatial SUR models and estimate the parameters efficiently, an iterative maximum likelihood method, which takes full advantage of the stationary characteristic of maximum likelihood estimation, has been developed. The robust parameters of models can help draw a proper inference for biomass consumption. Then the spatial-temporal patterns of biomass consumption in the US at the state level are investigated using the spatial SUR models with the estimation method developed and data covering the period of 2000–2012. Results show that there are spatial dependences among biomass consumption. The presence of spatial dependence in biomass consumption has informative implications for making sustainable biomass polices. It suggests new efforts to adding a cross-state dimension to state-level energy policy and coordinating some elements of energy policy across states are still needed. In addition, results consistent with classic economic theory further proves the correctness of applying the spatial SUR models to investigate the spatial-temporal patterns of biomass consumption. - Highlights: • A spatial model is suggested as framework to investigate biomass consumption. • A new estimation method is developed to obtain the robust parameters of model. • There are spatial dependences among biomass consumption. • The spatial dependence can contribute to making sustainable biomass policies. • Efforts to adding cross-state dimension to state

Repeated inoculations with the lung and heartworm nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum result in increasing larval excretion and worm burden in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian David Woolsey

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The French heartworm Angiostongylus vasorum is found in European red fox (Vulpes vulpes and dog populations, where it appears to be spreading geographically. Once introduced into new areas, it establishes in local fox populations, typically to over 50% prevalence in a few years. High susceptibility and constant excretion of first stage larvae (L1 by the definitive hosts are prerequisites for sustaining high parasite biomass in a particular habitat. The present study explores the hypothesis that repeated ingestion of gastropods in nature will result in accumulation of adult worms and elevated excretion of L1 in feces. Experimentally infected foxes were subsequently inoculated via stomach tube once (9 weeks post initial inoculation or twice (9 and 13 weeks post inoculation (wpi with 100 third stage A. vasorum larvae (L3 previously isolated from aquatic snails infected with L1 from a naturally infected dog. Despite large variation in fecal larval excretion for the individual animals within the groups, excretion of L1 was significantly higher in foxes twice inoculated as compared to foxes inoculated only once. With an outlier in the once inoculated group removed, excretion became significantly higher in the three times inoculated group. Establishment of adult worms varied and only a trend to higher worm burdens was found in the group of foxes inoculated three times. However, this became significant with the same single outlier removed. Overall, it appears that protective immunity to A. vasorum does not appear to occur in V. vulpes with animals exhibiting high infection intensities without obvious clinical signs. The increasing larval excretion in foxes being repeatedly exposed to A. vasorum L3 support the hypothesis that foxes under natural conditions may repeatedly ingest infected gastropods and remain a source of environmental contamination for several months, potentially contributing to the establishment of endemic foci through increasing L1

Optimization of macronutrient kinetics for biomass production in Nostoc calcicola

Science.gov (United States)

Aiyer, Subramanian Seshadri C.; Akshai, A.; Kumar, B. G. Prakash; Ramachandran, S.

2018-04-01

To assess the feasibility of Allen and Arnon’s (AA) media addition to increase the biomass productivity, (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 ml of 10x media concentrate - MC) was added to aerated culture every six days, in two separate conditions i.e., single harvest (SH) and continuous harvest (CH) after 15th day. Results show that with addition of 5 ml of MC produced maximum amount of biomass is 1.32 g/L and 2.88 g/L for Sh and CH respectively. These results show that with addition of 5 ml of MC to an aerated culture every six days with continuous biomass harvesting leads to maximum growth of Nostoc calcicola @25°C

Evaluation of existing EPRI and INEL test data to determine the worm to worm gear coefficient of friction in Limitorque actuators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garza, I.A.

1996-12-01

About the last sizing parameter for motor operated valves which has not been determined by utility or NRC sponsored testing is actuator efficiency. A by-product of EPRI testing for valve factors is the measurement of the actuator efficiencies. Motor sizing in this testing provides efficiency testing for motors running near synchronous speed. INEL testing, sponsored by the NRC, for stem factors and rate of loading provides complimentary data for motors loaded down to zero speed. This paper analyzes the data from these two test programs to determine the coefficient of friction for the worm to worm gear interface. This allowed the development of an algorithm for determining the efficiency of actuators which have not been tested. This paper compares the results of this algorithm to the test data to provide a measure of the accuracy of this method for calculating actuator efficiency.

Evaluation of existing EPRI and INEL test data to determine the worm to worm gear coefficient of friction in Limitorque actuators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garza, I.A.

1996-01-01

About the last sizing parameter for motor operated valves which has not been determined by utility or NRC sponsored testing is actuator efficiency. A by-product of EPRI testing for valve factors is the measurement of the actuator efficiencies. Motor sizing in this testing provides efficiency testing for motors running near synchronous speed. INEL testing, sponsored by the NRC, for stem factors and rate of loading provides complimentary data for motors loaded down to zero speed. This paper analyzes the data from these two test programs to determine the coefficient of friction for the worm to worm gear interface. This allowed the development of an algorithm for determining the efficiency of actuators which have not been tested. This paper compares the results of this algorithm to the test data to provide a measure of the accuracy of this method for calculating actuator efficiency

Histamine 1 Receptor Blockade Enhances Eosinophil-Mediated Clearance of Adult Filarial Worms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ellen Mueller Fox

Full Text Available Filariae are tissue-invasive nematodes that cause diseases such as elephantiasis and river blindness. The goal of this study was to characterize the role of histamine during Litomosoides sigmodontis infection of BALB/c mice, a murine model of filariasis. Time course studies demonstrated that while expression of histidine decarboxylase mRNA increases throughout 12 weeks of infection, serum levels of histamine exhibit two peaks-one 30 minutes after primary infection and one 8 weeks later. Interestingly, mice treated with fexofenadine, a histamine receptor 1 inhibitor, demonstrated significantly reduced worm burden in infected mice compared to untreated infected controls. Although fexofenadine-treated mice had decreased antigen-specific IgE levels as well as lower splenocyte IL-5 and IFNγ production, they exhibited a greater than fourfold rise in eosinophil numbers at the tissue site where adult L. sigmodontis worms reside. Fexofenadine-mediated clearance of L. sigmodontis worms was dependent on host eosinophils, as fexofenadine did not decrease worm burdens in eosinophil-deficient dblGATA mice. These findings suggest that histamine release induced by tissue invasive helminths may aid parasite survival by diminishing eosinophilic responses. Further, these results raise the possibility that combining H1 receptor inhibitors with current anthelmintics may improve treatment efficacy for filariae and other tissue-invasive helminths.

Ectopic Human Fasciola hepatica Infection by an Adult Worm in the Mesocolon.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ah Jin; Choi, Chang Hwan; Choi, Sun Keun; Shin, Yong Woon; Park, Yun-Kyu; Kim, Lucia; Choi, Suk Jin; Han, Jee Young; Kim, Joon Mee; Chu, Young Chae; Park, In Suh

2015-12-01

We report here an ectopic case of Fasciola hepatica infection confirmed by recovery of an adult worm in the mesocolon. A 56-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with discomfort and pain in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen. Abdominal CT showed 3 abscesses in the left upper quadrant, mesentery, and pelvic cavity. On surgical exploration, abscess pockets were found in the mesocolon of the sigmoid colon and transverse colon. A leaf-like worm found in the abscess pocket of the mesocolon of the left colon was diagnosed as an adult fluke of F. hepatica. Histologically, numerous eggs of F. hepatica were noted with acute and chronic granulomatous inflammations in the subserosa and pericolic adipose tissues. Conclusively, a rare case of ectopic fascioliasis has been confirmed in this study by the adult worm recovery of F. hepatica in the mesocolon.

Perceptions of a literate community regarding causation, presentation and treatment practices of intestinal worms among children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mubeen, S.M.; Subhani, A.; Hassan, S.S.

2007-01-01

To find out the perceived common causes of intestinal worms, their presentations and treatment options taken by the respondents, among children. A total of 2000 families responded to a self-administered questionnaire that was designed to obtain the study objectives. A single adult individual from each family was asked to respond to the questionnaire. Families having health care workers or health professionals were excluded. Medical students were properly trained to ensure competence in collecting a reliable data. The majority of the total respondents were females (66.3%) and were between 15-25 years of age (mean age = 25.4 years) with 100% literacy rate. A noticeable number of respondents (31%) revealed that overeating of sugar causes intestinal worms and that they mainly presented as altered eating habits / appetite (51.8%), abdominal pain (40.8%) and generalized weakness (26.3%). Regarding perceptions of drug treatment, nearly 2/3 of the respondents felt that the de-worming agent should be given to suspected child only (p < 0.001), whereas 65% of the participants expected to observe worms after de-worming treatment (p < 0.001). Contrary to the common use of self-medication in most other illnesses, self-treatment of worms on suspicion was declared by only 21.5% of the respondents (p < 0.0001). This study confirms that misconceptions about intestinal worms in children were prevalent within the community. In addition to the issue of environmental sanitation, removal of the mistaken beliefs is a prerequisite for an effective and long-lasting parasitic control among children. (author)

Biofertilizer potential of residual biomass of Akk (alotropis procera (Ait.))

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, N.

2016-01-01

The biofertilizer potential of residual biomass, derived from two parts that is flowers and leaves of Akk,was investigated in terms of its applications as a substrate for phyto-beneficial bacterial growth and subsequent inorganic phosphate solubilizing agent. The residual biomass was obtained after the extraction of antioxidants from the leaves and flowers of Akk using different solvent systems. The treatment with residual biomass of Akk (RBA) significantly (p<0.05) enhanced the growth of Enterobacter sp. Fs-11 and Rhizobium sp. E-11 as compared to control (without residual biomass). Maximum microbial growth in terms of optical density (0.92-1.22) was observed for residual biomass sample extracted with aqueous acetone against the control (0.58-0.68). On the other hand, maximum phosphate solubilization (589.27-611.32 mu g mL-1) was recorded for aqueous ethanol extracted residual biomass while the minimum (246.31-382.15 micro g) for aqueous acetone extracted residual biomass against the control (576.65 micro g mL-1). The present study revealed that the tested RBA can be explored as an effective bio-inoculant to supplement synthetic inorganic phosphate fertilizers. However, some appropriate in-vitro assays should be conducted to optimize and standardize the quantity and mesh size of residual biomass prior to use in biofertilizer production as carrier material. (author)

Is Host-Based Anomaly Detection + Temporal Correlation = Worm Causality

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sekar, Vyas; Xie, Yinglian; Reiter, Michael K; Zhang, Hui

2007-01-01

Epidemic-spreading attacks (e.g., worm and botnet propagation) have a natural notion of attack causality - a single network flow causes a victim host to get infected and subsequently spread the attack...

ADVANCED BIOMASS REBURNING FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY NOx CONTROL AND BIOMASS REBURNING - MODELING/ENGINEERING STUDIES JOINT FINAL REPORT; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vladimir M Zamansky; Mark S. Sheldon; Vitali V. Lissianski; Peter M. Maly; David K. Moyeda; Antonio Marquez; W. Randall Seeker

2000-01-01

This report presents results of studies under a Phase II SBIR program funded by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and a closely coordinated project sponsored by the DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL, formerly FETC). The overall Phase II objective of the SBIR project is to experimentally optimize the biomass reburning technologies and conduct engineering design studies needed for process demonstration at full scale. The DOE project addresses supporting issues for the process design including modeling activities, economic studies of biomass handling, and experimental evaluation of slagging and fouling. The performance of biomass has been examined in a 300 kW (1 x 10(sup 6) Btu/hr) Boiler Simulator Facility under different experimental conditions. Fuels under investigation include furniture waste, willow wood and walnut shells. Tests showed that furniture pellets and walnut shells provided similar NO(sub x) control as that of natural gas in basic reburning at low heat inputs. Maximum NO(sub x) reduction achieved with walnut shell and furniture pellets was 65% and 58% respectively. Willow wood provided a maximum NO(sub x) reduction of 50% and was no better than natural gas at any condition tested. The efficiency of biomass increases when N-agent is injected into reburning and/or burnout zones, or along with OFA (Advanced Reburning). Co-injection of Na(sub 2)CO(sub 3) with N-agent further increases efficiency of NO(sub x) reduction. Maximum NO(sub x) reduction achieved with furniture pellets and willow wood in Advanced Reburning was 83% and 78% respectively. All combustion experiments of the Phase II project have been completed. All objectives of the experimental tasks were successfully met. The kinetic model of biomass reburning has been developed. Model agrees with experimental data for a wide range of initial conditions and thus correctly represents main features of the reburning process. Modeling suggests that the most important factors that provide

Durability Characteristics Analysis of Plastic Worm Wheel with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyamide

OpenAIRE

Kim, Gun-Hee; Lee, Jeong-Won; Seo, Tae-Il

2013-01-01

Plastic worm wheel is widely used in the vehicle manufacturing field because it is favorable for weight lightening, vibration and noise reduction, as well as corrosion resistance. However, it is very difficult for general plastics to secure the mechanical properties that are required for vehicle gears. If the plastic resin is reinforced by glass fiber in the fabrication process of plastic worm wheel, it is possible to achieve the mechanical properties of metallic material levels. In this stud...

END THE OF HORROR WORM: Dracunculus medinensis.

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dracunculus medinensis is a nematode that causes dracunculiasis. It is also known as the guinea worm disease and is caused by the large female nematode which is the longest nematode infecting humans. The adult female is longer than the male and can grow up to about 1m in length inside the body of the human host.

Life cycle of the oriental compost worm Perionyx excavatus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1989-03-21

Mar 21, 1989 ... O. Graff of Braunschweig, West Germany, from worms originally obtained .... provides for an alternate life history strategy in Perionyx excavatus. ... illustrated. .... (1984), (eds) Edwards, C.A. & Lofty, J.R. Cambridge,. England.

Influence of the enchytraeid worm Buchholzia appendiculata on aggregate formation and organic matter decomposition.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marinissen, J.C.Y.; Didden, W.A.M.

1997-01-01

Enchytraeid worms were kept in <0.3 mm sieved sandy loam subsoil mixed with ground wheat, for 6 weeks at 16°C. Sieved soil with organic matter but without worms was also incubated. The soil was then allowed to air-dry slowly during 6 weeks. Enchytraeid casts were collected from the surface of the

Pyrosequencing of prey DNA in reptile faeces: analysis of earthworm consumption by slow worms.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, David S; Jarman, Simon N; Symondson, William O C

2012-03-01

Little quantitative ecological information exists on the diets of most invertebrate feeding reptiles, particularly nocturnal or elusive species that are difficult to observe. In the UK and elsewhere, reptiles are legally required to be relocated before land development can proceed, but without knowledge of their dietary requirements, the suitability of receptor sites cannot be known. Here, we tested the ability of non-invasive DNA-based molecular diagnostics (454 pyrosequencing) to analyse reptile diets, with the specific aims of determining which earthworm species are exploited by slow worms (the legless lizard Anguis fragilis) and whether they feed on the deeper-living earthworm species that only come to the surface at night. Slow worm faecal samples from four different habitats were analysed using earthworm-specific PCR primers. We found that 86% of slow worms (N=80) had eaten earthworms. In lowland heath and marshy/acid grassland, Lumbricus rubellus, a surface-dwelling epigeic species, dominated slow worm diet. In two other habitats, riverside pasture and calciferous coarse grassland, diet was dominated by deeper-living anecic and endogeic species. We conclude that all species of earthworm are exploited by these reptiles and lack of specialization allows slow worms to thrive in a wide variety of habitats. Pyrosequencing of prey DNA in faeces showed promise as a practical, rapid and relatively inexpensive means of obtaining detailed and valuable ecological information on the diets of reptiles. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Environmental and genetic factors affecting faecal worm egg counts ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Environmental and genetic factors affecting faecal worm egg counts in Merinos divergently selected for reproduction. ... The fixed effect of birth year x sex interaction was significant, with rams showing higher mean values for FWEC than ewes ...

Treatment of Schistosoma mansoni with miltefosine in vitro enhances serological recognition of defined worm surface antigens.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marwa H El-Faham

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Miltefosine, an anti-cancer drug that has been successfully repositioned for treatment of Leishmania infections, has recently also shown promising effects against Schistosoma spp targeting all life cycle stages of the parasite. The current study examined the effect of treating Schistosoma mansoni adult worms with miltefosine on exposure of worm surface antigens in vitro.In an indirect immunofluorescence assay, rabbit anti-S.mansoni adult worm homogenate and anti-S. mansoni infection antisera gave strong immunofluorescence of the S. mansoni adult worm surface after treatment with miltefosine, the latter antiserum having previously been shown to synergistically enhance the schistosomicidal activity of praziquantel. Rabbit antibodies that recognised surface antigens exposed on miltefosine-treated worms were recovered by elution off the worm surface in low pH buffer and were used in a western immunoblotting assay to identify antigenic targets in a homogenate extract of adult worms (SmWH. Four proteins reacting with the antibodies in immunoblots were purified and proteomic analysis (MS/MS combined with specific immunoblotting indicated they were the S. mansoni proteins: fructose-1,6 bisphosphate aldolase (SmFBPA, Sm22.6, alkaline phosphatase and malate dehydrogenase. These antibodies were also found to bind to the surface of 3-hour schistosomula and induce immune agglutination of the parasites, suggesting they may have a role in immune protection.This study reveals a novel mode of action of miltefosine as an anti-schistosome agent. The immune-dependent hypothesis we investigated has previously been lent credence with praziquantel (PZQ, whereby treatment unmasks parasite surface antigens not normally exposed to the host during infection. Antigens involved in this molecular mechanism could have potential as intervention targets and antibodies against these antigens may act to increase the drug's anti-parasite efficacy and be involved in the development

Average stem biomass of Gundelia ( Gundelia tournefortii L.) in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We studied Gundelia tournefortii L. to determine its stem biomass characteristics. Data were collected with accidental sampling method (1*1 m) in this area. A total of 15 plots were collected and 75 samples were studied in this study. However, the minimum, maximum and mean stem biomass of this plant was 5.5, 22.6 and ...

Worms Expelled With the Urine From a Bosniak Cyst III of the Left Kidney.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jie; Li, Pu; Su, Chuan; Zhang, Jia-Yi; Gu, Min

2016-07-01

An old fishman presented with left lumbago and finding worms in his urine. Type-B ultrasonic inspection and computed tomography scan found a Bosniak cyst III, containing several wire-like elements, in the middle of the left kidney. Expelled worms were confirmed to be Dioctophyma renale. After two courses of albendazole, the man was cured. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence Of Intestinal Worm Infections Among Primary School ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was used to determine the status of intestinal worm infections whose subjects were drawn from eight city administrative divisions. Proportional random sampling method to select forty five (45) schools out of 320 public, private and non-formal schools was used. Using the school ...

Prevalence And Disabilities Caused By Guinea-Worm Disease ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A survey was carried out in 2001 to ascertain the status of Guinea worm disease infection among farm households in Ebonyi Local Government Area (LGA) of Ebonyi State. A total of 3,777 respondents were randomly sampled from 15 communities that comprised the LGA. The sample respondents were clinically examined ...

Heat storage in forest biomass improves energy balance closure

Science.gov (United States)

Lindroth, A.; Mölder, M.; Lagergren, F.

2010-01-01

Temperature measurements in trunks and branches in a mature ca. 100 years-old mixed pine and spruce forest in central Sweden were used to estimate the heat storage in the tree biomass. The estimated heat flux in the sample trees and data on biomass distributions were used to scale up to stand level biomass heat fluxes. The rate of change of sensible and latent heat storage in the air layer below the level of the flux measurements was estimated from air temperature and humidity profile measurements and soil heat flux was estimated from heat flux plates and soil temperature measurements. The fluxes of sensible and latent heat from the forest were measured with an eddy covariance system in a tower. The analysis was made for a two-month period in summer of 1995. The tree biomass heat flux was the largest of the estimated storage components and varied between 40 and -35 W m-2 on summer days with nice weather. Averaged over two months the diurnal maximum of total heat storage was 45 W m-2 and the minimum was -35 W m-2. The soil heat flux and the sensible heat storage in air were out of phase with the biomass flux and they reached maximum values that were about 75% of the maximum of the tree biomass heat storage. The energy balance closure improved significantly when the total heat storage was added to the turbulent fluxes. The slope of a regression line with sum of fluxes and storage as independent and net radiation as dependent variable, increased from 0.86 to 0.95 for half-hourly data and the scatter was also reduced. The most significant finding was, however, that during nights with strongly stable conditions when the sensible heat flux dropped to nearly zero, the total storage matched the net radiation very well. Another interesting result was that the mean energy imbalance started to increase when the Richardson number became more negative than ca. -0.1. In fact, the largest energy deficit occurred at maximum instability. Our conclusion is that eddy covariance

TORQUE MEASUREMENT IN WORM AGLOMERATION MACHINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marian DUDZIAK

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the operating characteristics of the worm agglomeration machine. The paper indicates the need for continuous monitoring of the value of the torque due to the efficiency of the machine. An original structure of torque meter which is built in the standard drive system of briquetting machine was presented. A number of benefits arising from the application of the proposed solution were presented. Exemplary measurement results obtained by means of this torque meter were presented.

Genetic variation in the Critically Endangered velvet worm ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the present study the genetic variation of the Critically Endangered velvet worm species Opisthopatus roseus is examined. This species is endemic to the Ngele mistbelt forest in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. In recent years the forest has been severely impacted by anthropogenic activities such as logging of ...

Repeated inoculations with the lung and heartworm nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum result in increasing larval excretion and worm burden in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes).

Science.gov (United States)

Woolsey, Ian David; Webster, P; Thamsborg, S; Schnyder, Manuela; Monrad, Jesper; Kapel, C M O

2017-12-01

The French heartworm Angiostongylus vasorum is found in European red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) and dog populations, where it appears to be spreading geographically. Once introduced into new areas, it establishes in local fox populations, typically to over 50% prevalence in a few years. High susceptibility and constant excretion of first stage larvae (L1) by the definitive hosts are prerequisites for sustaining high parasite biomass in a particular habitat. The present study explores the hypothesis that repeated ingestion of gastropods in nature will result in accumulation of adult worms and elevated excretion of L1 in feces. Experimentally infected foxes were subsequently inoculated via stomach tube once (9 weeks post initial inoculation) or twice (9 and 13 weeks post inoculation (wpi)) with 100 third stage A. vasorum larvae (L3) previously isolated from aquatic snails infected with L1 from a naturally infected dog. Despite large variation in fecal larval excretion for the individual animals within the groups, excretion of L1 was significantly higher in foxes twice inoculated as compared to foxes inoculated only once. With an outlier in the once inoculated group removed, excretion became significantly higher in the three times inoculated group. Establishment of adult worms varied and only a trend to higher worm burdens was found in the group of foxes inoculated three times. However, this became significant with the same single outlier removed. Overall, it appears that protective immunity to A. vasorum does not appear to occur in V. vulpes with animals exhibiting high infection intensities without obvious clinical signs. The increasing larval excretion in foxes being repeatedly exposed to A. vasorum L3 support the hypothesis that foxes under natural conditions may repeatedly ingest infected gastropods and remain a source of environmental contamination for several months, potentially contributing to the establishment of endemic foci through increasing L1 excretion.

Sediment-worm interaction: transfer of 65Zn from marine silt by the polychaete, Nereis diversicolor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renfro, W.C.; Benayoun, G.

1976-01-01

Marine polychaete worms (Nereis diversicolor) accumulated 65 Zn sorbed to silty marine sediment for 5 days and were then transferred to nonradioactive sediment in the laboratory and in the sea. The mean biological half-life (T/sub B//2/) for the laboratory worms did not differ greatly from that for worms in the sea. Worms living in small flowing seawater systems containing 16 cm 3 of sediment accumulated 65 Zn added to each system in the form of radioactive organic detritus. Higher percentage uptake of 65 Zn was from radioactive detritus particles 0.2 to 2 mm in diameter resting on the sediment surface or mixed with sediment than from finely-ground ( 65 Zn coprecipitated from fresh water with Fe(OH) 3 was accumulated by N. diversicolor when the precipitate was on the sediment surface than when the precipitate was well mixed with the sediment. These experimental results indicate that benthic organisms may take up limited amounts of heavy metals associated with bottom sediments and recycle them to benthic and pelagic food webs

Comparative Study of Coal and Biomass Co-Combustion With Coal Burning Separately Through Emissions Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Siddique

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Appropriate eco-friendly methods to mitigate the problem of emissions from combustion of fossil fuel are highly demanded. The current study was focused on the effect of using coal & coal-biomass co-combustion on the gaseous emissions. Different biomass' were used along with coal. The coal used was lignite coal and the biomass' were tree waste, cow dung and banana tree leaves. Various ratios of coal and biomass were used to investigate the combustion behavior of coal-biomass blends and their emissions. The study revealed that the ratio of 80:20 of coal (lignite-cow dung and 100% banana tree leaves emits less emissions of CO, CO2, NOx and SO2 as compared to 100% coal. Maximum amount of CO emissions were 1510.5 ppm for banana tree waste and minimum amount obtained for lakhra coal and cow dung manure (70:30 of 684.667 ppm. Maximum percentage of SO2 (345.33 ppm was released from blend of lakhra coal and tree leaves (90:10 and minimum amount of SO2 present in samples is in lakhra coal-banana tree waste (80:20. The maximum amount of NO obtained for banana tree waste were 68 ppm whereas maximum amount of NOx was liberated from lakhra coal-tree leaves (60:40 and minimum amount from cow dung manure (30.83 ppm. The study concludes that utilization of biomass with coal could make remedial action against environment pollution.

The relationships between faecal worm egg count and subjectively ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Subjectively assessed wool and conformation traits form part of the selection objective in wool sheep enterprises. The present study investigated the genetic, phenotypic and environmental correlations for nematode resistance (using faecal worm egg count (FEC)) with subjectively assessed wool and conformation traits.

Some metals in aboveground biomass of Scots pine in Lithuania

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Varnagiryte-Kabašinskiene, Iveta; Armolaitis, Kestutis; Stupak, Inge

2014-01-01

with stemwood and living branches. However, metal export with aboveground biomass represented relatively small proportion of metals in mineral sandy soil. The annual inputs of Fe and Zn with atmospheric deposition were over 10 times higher than the mean annual removals with total aboveground biomass....... The content of metals in forest biomass fuel ash was relatively small to compare with their total removals. The findings of this study have an important implications for future practice, i.e. the recommended maximum forest biomass fuel ash dose for the compensating fertilising could be increased with respect...... to balanced output - input in Lithuania....

Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy for the analysis of the biochemical composition of C. elegans worms.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Ming; Gorzsás, András; Tuck, Simon

2016-01-01

Changes in intermediary metabolism have profound effects on many aspects of C. elegans biology including growth, development and behavior. However, many traditional biochemical techniques for analyzing chemical composition require relatively large amounts of starting material precluding the analysis of mutants that cannot be grown in large amounts as homozygotes. Here we describe a technique for detecting changes in the chemical compositions of C. elegans worms by Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy. We demonstrate that the technique can be used to detect changes in the relative levels of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids in one and the same worm. We suggest that Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy represents a useful addition to the arsenal of techniques for metabolic studies of C. elegans worms.

Short-Term Effects of the Anti-sea Lice Therapeutant Emamectin Benzoate on Clam Worms (Nereis virens).

Science.gov (United States)

McBriarty, G J; Kidd, K A; Burridge, L E

2018-05-01

The polychaete Nereis virens occurs commonly in marine sediments, is widely distributed, and is a popular bait species, as well as a potential replacement for wild-caught fish in commercial fish feed preparations. It is being considered as a potential co-extractive species for culture in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture operations. However, it is not known whether pesticides or drugs used to treat sea lice on farmed salmon, such as emamectin benzoate (EB), would adversely affect cultured or wild worms, because these compounds may persist in the environment. To determine the potential effects of EB to N. virens, bioassays were performed wherein worms were exposed in sand for 30 days to a concentration of 400 µg/kg dw (nominal). While no treatment-related mortality occurred, significant decreases in worm mass and marked behavioral changes (lack of burrowing) were observed in EB-treated sand compared with controls. These lab-based observations suggest a potential hazard to worms at sites where EB treatments have occurred.

Ethanol Production from Hydrothermally-Treated Biomass from West Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edem Cudjoe Bensah

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Despite the abundance of diverse biomass resources in Africa, they have received little research and development focus. This study presents compositional analysis, sugar, and ethanol yields of hydrothermal pretreated (195 °C, 10 min biomass from West Africa, including bamboo wood, rubber wood, elephant grass, Siam weed, and coconut husk, benchmarked against those of wheat straw. The elephant grass exhibited the highest glucose and ethanol yields at 57.8% and 65.1% of the theoretical maximums, respectively. The results show that the glucose yield of pretreated elephant grass was 3.5 times that of the untreated material, while the ethanol yield was nearly 2 times higher. Moreover, the sugar released by the elephant grass (30.8 g/100 g TS was only slightly lower than by the wheat straw (33.1 g/100 g TS, while the ethanol yield (16.1 g/100 g TS was higher than that of the straw (15.26 g/100 g TS. All other local biomass types studied exhibited sugar and ethanol yields below 33% and 35% of the theoretical maximum, respectively. Thus, elephant grass is a highly promising biomass source for ethanol production in Africa.

Track-a-worm, an open-source system for quantitative assessment of C. elegans locomotory and bending behavior.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sijie Jason Wang

Full Text Available A major challenge of neuroscience is to understand the circuit and gene bases of behavior. C. elegans is commonly used as a model system to investigate how various gene products function at specific tissue, cellular, and synaptic foci to produce complicated locomotory and bending behavior. The investigation generally requires quantitative behavioral analyses using an automated single-worm tracker, which constantly records and analyzes the position and body shape of a freely moving worm at a high magnification. Many single-worm trackers have been developed to meet lab-specific needs, but none has been widely implemented for various reasons, such as hardware difficult to assemble, and software lacking sufficient functionality, having closed source code, or using a programming language that is not broadly accessible. The lack of a versatile system convenient for wide implementation makes data comparisons difficult and compels other labs to develop new worm trackers. Here we describe Track-A-Worm, a system rich in functionality, open in source code, and easy to use. The system includes plug-and-play hardware (a stereomicroscope, a digital camera and a motorized stage, custom software written to run with Matlab in Windows 7, and a detailed user manual. Grayscale images are automatically converted to binary images followed by head identification and placement of 13 markers along a deduced spline. The software can extract and quantify a variety of parameters, including distance traveled, average speed, distance/time/speed of forward and backward locomotion, frequency and amplitude of dominant bends, overall bending activities measured as root mean square, and sum of all bends. It also plots worm travel path, bend trace, and bend frequency spectrum. All functionality is performed through graphical user interfaces and data is exported to clearly-annotated and documented Excel files. These features make Track-A-Worm a good candidate for implementation in

Aquatic worms eating waste sludge in a continuous system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendrickx, T.L.G.; Temmink, B.G.; Elissen, H.J.H.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2009-01-01

Aquatic worms are a biological approach to decrease the amount of biological waste sludge produced at waste water treatment plants. A new reactor concept was recently introduced in which the aquatic oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus is immobilised in a carrier material. The current paper describes

Additional file 4: Figure S2. of WorMachine: machine learning-based phenotypic analysis tool for worms

OpenAIRE

Hakim, Adam; Mor, Yael; Toker, Itai; Levine, Amir; Neuhof, Moran; Markovitz, Yishai; Rechavi, Oded

2018-01-01

Features used to establish worm masculinity. Violin plots show the morphological features (A) and fluorescent features (B) used to determine the masculinity of him-5; [tph-1p::GFP] worms. A total of 545 pre-labeled worms of each sex were used for analysis (****p < 10–4, ***p < 10–3, *p < 0.05, two-tailed t test after α = 0.01 trimming to exclude extreme outliers with false discovery rate (FDR) correction for multiple comparisons). Only features that were significantly distinct and had pl...

Worm Infestation And Anaemia Among Pre-school Children Of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Worm infection and anaemia are common childhood conditions in Nigeria. We assessed the status of helminthiasis and associated anaemia among pre school children of peasant farmers aged 1-5 years living in a rubber plantation near Calabar, Nigeria. Design: Cross sectional. Method: Three hundred and ...

Bacterial endosymbioses of gutless tube-dwelling worms in nonhydrothermal vent habitats.

Science.gov (United States)

Naganuma, Takeshi; Elsaied, Hosam E; Hoshii, Daiki; Kimura, Hiroyuki

2005-01-01

Gutless tube-dwelling worms of pogonophorans (also known as frenulates) and vestimentiferans depend on primary production of endosymbiotic bacteria. The endosymbionts include thiotrophs that oxidize sulfur for autotrophic production and methanotrophs that oxidize and assimilate methane. Although most of the pogonophoran and vestimentiferan tube worms possess single thiotrophic 16S rRNA genes (16S rDNA) related to gamma-proteobacteria, some pogonohorans are known to bear single methanotroph species or even dual symbionts of thiotrophs and methanotrophs. The vestimentiferan Lamellibrachia sp. L1 shows symbiotic 16S rDNA sequences of alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and epsilon-proteobacteria, varying among specimens, with RuBisCO form II gene (cbbM) sequences related to beta-proteobacteria. An unidentified pogonophoran from the world's deepest cold seep, 7326-m deep in the Japan Trench, hosts a symbiotic thiotroph based on 16S rDNA with the RuBisCO form I gene (cbbL). In contrast, a shallow-water pogonophoran (Oligobrachia mashikoi) in coastal Japan Sea has a methanotrophic 16S rDNA and thiotrophic cbbL, which may suggest the feature of type X methanotrophs. These observations demonstrate that pogonophoran and vestimentiferan worms have higher plasticity in bacterial symbioses than previously suspected.

The larval nervous system of the penis worm Priapulus caudatus (Ecdysozoa).

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Durán, José M; Wolff, Gabriella H; Strausfeld, Nicholas J; Hejnol, Andreas

2016-01-05

The origin and extreme diversification of the animal nervous system is a central question in biology. While most of the attention has traditionally been paid to those lineages with highly elaborated nervous systems (e.g. arthropods, vertebrates, annelids), only the study of the vast animal diversity can deliver a comprehensive view of the evolutionary history of this organ system. In this regard, the phylogenetic position and apparently conservative molecular, morphological and embryological features of priapulid worms (Priapulida) place this animal lineage as a key to understanding the evolution of the Ecdysozoa (i.e. arthropods and nematodes). In this study, we characterize the nervous system of the hatching larva and first lorica larva of the priapulid worm Priapulus caudatus by immunolabelling against acetylated and tyrosinated tubulin, pCaMKII, serotonin and FMRFamide. Our results show that a circumoral brain and an unpaired ventral nerve with a caudal ganglion characterize the central nervous system of hatching embryos. After the first moult, the larva attains some adult features: a neck ganglion, an introvert plexus, and conspicuous secondary longitudinal neurites. Our study delivers a neuroanatomical framework for future embryological studies in priapulid worms, and helps illuminate the course of nervous system evolution in the Ecdysozoa. © 2015 The Authors.

Complete mitochondrial genome of yellow meal worm (Tenebrio molitor).

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Li-Na; Wang, Cheng-Ye

2014-11-18

The yellow meal worm (Tenebrio molitor L.) is an important resource insect typically used as animal feed additive. It is also widely used for biological research. The first complete mitochondrial genome of T. molitor was determined for the first time by long PCR and conserved primer walking approaches. The results showed that the entire mitogenome of T. molitor was 15 785 bp long, with 72.35% A+T content [deposited in GenBank with accession number KF418153]. The gene order and orientation were the same as the most common type suggested as ancestral for insects. Two protein-coding genes used atypical start codons (CTA in ND2 and AAT in COX1), and the remaining 11 protein-coding genes started with a typical insect initiation codon ATN. All tRNAs showed standard clover-leaf structure, except for tRNA(Ser) (AGN), which lacked a dihydrouridine (DHU) arm. The newly added T. molitor mitogenome could provide information for future studies on yellow meal worm.

[Compatible biomass models of natural spruce (Picea asperata)].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jin Chi; Deng, Hua Feng; Huang, Guo Sheng; Wang, Xue Jun; Zhang, Lu

2017-10-01

By using nonlinear measurement error method, the compatible tree volume and above ground biomass equations were established based on the volume and biomass data of 150 sampling trees of natural spruce (Picea asperata). Two approaches, controlling directly under total aboveground biomass and controlling jointly from level to level, were used to design the compatible system for the total aboveground biomass and the biomass of four components (stem, bark, branch and foliage), and the total ground biomass could be estimated independently or estimated simultaneously in the system. The results showed that the R 2 of the one variable and bivariate compatible tree volume and aboveground biomass equations were all above 0.85, and the maximum value reached 0.99. The prediction effect of the volume equations could be improved significantly when tree height was included as predictor, while it was not significant in biomass estimation. For the compatible biomass systems, the one variable model based on controlling jointly from level to level was better than the model using controlling directly under total above ground biomass, but the bivariate models of the two methods were similar. Comparing the imitative effects of the one variable and bivariate compatible biomass models, the results showed that the increase of explainable variables could significantly improve the fitness of branch and foliage biomass, but had little effect on other components. Besides, there was almost no difference between the two methods of estimation based on the comparison.

Artificial neural network-based model for the prediction of optimal growth and culture conditions for maximum biomass accumulation in multiple shoot cultures of Centella asiatica.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Archana; Prakash, Om; Mehrotra, Shakti; Khan, Feroz; Mathur, Ajay Kumar; Mathur, Archana

2017-01-01

An artificial neural network (ANN)-based modelling approach is used to determine the synergistic effect of five major components of growth medium (Mg, Cu, Zn, nitrate and sucrose) on improved in vitro biomass yield in multiple shoot cultures of Centella asiatica. The back propagation neural network (BPNN) was employed to predict optimal biomass accumulation in terms of growth index over a defined culture duration of 35 days. The four variable concentrations of five media components, i.e. MgSO 4 (0, 0.75, 1.5, 3.0 mM), ZnSO 4 (0, 15, 30, 60 μM), CuSO 4 (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 μM), NO 3 (20, 30, 40, 60 mM) and sucrose (1, 3, 5, 7 %, w/v) were taken as inputs for the ANN model. The designed model was evaluated by performing three different sets of validation experiments that indicated a greater similarity between the target and predicted dataset. The results of the modelling experiment suggested that 1.5 mM Mg, 30 μM Zn, 0.1 μM Cu, 40 mM NO 3 and 6 % (w/v) sucrose were the respective optimal concentrations of the tested medium components for achieving maximum growth index of 1654.46 with high centelloside yield (62.37 mg DW/culture) in the cultured multiple shoots. This study can facilitate the generation of higher biomass of uniform, clean, good quality C. asiatica herb that can efficiently be utilized by pharmaceutical industries.

Polyanhydride Nanoparticle Delivery Platform Dramatically Enhances Killing of Filarial Worms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea M Binnebose

Full Text Available Filarial diseases represent a significant social and economic burden to over 120 million people worldwide and are caused by endoparasites that require the presence of symbiotic bacteria of the genus Wolbachia for fertility and viability of the host parasite. Targeting Wolbachia for elimination is a therapeutic approach that shows promise in the treatment of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. Here we demonstrate the use of a biodegradable polyanhydride nanoparticle-based platform for the co-delivery of the antibiotic doxycycline with the antiparasitic drug, ivermectin, to reduce microfilarial burden and rapidly kill adult worms. When doxycycline and ivermectin were co-delivered within polyanhydride nanoparticles, effective killing of adult female Brugia malayi filarial worms was achieved with approximately 4,000-fold reduction in the amount of drug used. Additionally the time to death of the macrofilaria was also significantly reduced (five-fold when the anti-filarial drug cocktail was delivered within polyanhydride nanoparticles. We hypothesize that the mechanism behind this dramatically enhanced killing of the macrofilaria is the ability of the polyanhydride nanoparticles to behave as a Trojan horse and penetrate the cuticle, bypassing excretory pumps of B. malayi, and effectively deliver drug directly to both the worm and Wolbachia at high enough microenvironmental concentrations to cause death. These provocative findings may have significant consequences for the reduction in the amount of drug and the length of treatment required for filarial infections in terms of patient compliance and reduced cost of treatment.

THE WORMS COMPOST - EFFECTIVE FERTILIZER FOR IMPROVING DEGRADED SOILS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larisa CREMENEAC

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Management of organic waste is a difficult, complex and intractable in Moldova, according to international standards. Acute problem of organic matter from livestock sector waste is generated by storing them in unauthorized areas. Organic waste management strategies require different methods. One of them is organic waste bio conversion technology by worm’s cultivation. As the main natural wealth of the Republic of Moldova, soil requires a special care. Agriculture, in particular, should pay attention to the soil’s humus and nutrient status – and restore losses of humus and the nutrients used by crops. This requires measures to improve soil fertility. Land use provides, first of all return losses of humus and nutrients used by plants. Therefore measures required to improve soil fertility. The essence of the research was to highlight the role of worms compost improve the soil. To this end, in ETS "Maximovca" was organized an experiment that included three groups (two - experimental, to fund worms compost and one - control the natural background. Observations on soil fertility have been conducted over three years. The soil samples were collected by usual methods determined values of organic matter and humus. The results of the investigations, to determine the values of organic matter and humus samples collected from surface and depth 15 cm exceeded that of the sample control group to 29,7%; 11,4% and 34,3%; 37,1% in experimental group I and 9,3%; 11,6% and 45,5%; 45,5% in experimental group II. Therefore, worms compost embedded in a dose of 3-4 tons / ha during three years, has improved the fertility of the soil

Approach to the resistance of exportation tebo worms when irradiated with gamma ray through a quarantine treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva R, Samy; Zarate S, Herman; Aguirre H, Paulina [Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear, Santiago (Chile)], e-mail: hzarate@cchen.cl, e-mail: paguirre@cchen.cl, e-mail: ssilva@cchen.cl; Aburto, Patricio [Expo Agro (Chile)], e-mail: expoag@expoag.cl

2009-07-01

The tebo worms or butterworms (Chilecomadia moorei) are widely used in Chile in fishing, and so are in the international markets although there are some countries, that use these species, to a less extent for preparing food reptiles. Some foreign countries requirements demand, from the exporters, to carry out quarantine treatments related to the sterilization by ionizing energy, however customers need to make sure about their products safety and that is why it is compulsory to establish limits in connection with worms' irradiation resistance. The irradiation effect on a worms sample using doses of 0.3; 0.45; 0.6 and 0.9 kGy was studied macroscopically, after 1 hour, and then 30, 60 and 90 days after the treatment. One of the equipment utilized had a Cobalt 60 source, where as the other one had Cesium 137 irradiators, with a dose rate of 42.7 Gy minute (min){sup -1} and 37.1 Gy min{sup -1}, respectively. The results concluded that tebo worms can resist more than 3 times the doses suggested by the meta countries without reducing the population drastically, nevertheless it is required to increase the number of worms to be analyzed in order to validate the findings. (author)

Approach to the resistance of exportation tebo worms when irradiated with gamma ray through a quarantine treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva R, Samy; Zarate S, Herman; Aguirre H, Paulina; Aburto, Patricio

2009-01-01

The tebo worms or butterworms (Chilecomadia moorei) are widely used in Chile in fishing, and so are in the international markets although there are some countries, that use these species, to a less extent for preparing food reptiles. Some foreign countries requirements demand, from the exporters, to carry out quarantine treatments related to the sterilization by ionizing energy, however customers need to make sure about their products safety and that is why it is compulsory to establish limits in connection with worms' irradiation resistance. The irradiation effect on a worms sample using doses of 0.3; 0.45; 0.6 and 0.9 kGy was studied macroscopically, after 1 hour, and then 30, 60 and 90 days after the treatment. One of the equipment utilized had a Cobalt 60 source, where as the other one had Cesium 137 irradiators, with a dose rate of 42.7 Gy minute (min) -1 and 37.1 Gy min -1 , respectively. The results concluded that tebo worms can resist more than 3 times the doses suggested by the meta countries without reducing the population drastically, nevertheless it is required to increase the number of worms to be analyzed in order to validate the findings. (author)

The effect of antibiotic- and hydrocortisone-containing ointments in preventing secondary infections in guinea worm disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magnussen, P.; Yakubu, A.; Bloch, P.

1994-01-01

A randomized, single-blind, controlled study comparing the efficacy of an ointment containing two antibiotics, one containing one antibiotic plus hydrocortisone, and no treatment in reducing secondary infections in patients with patent Guinea worm was undertaken in the northern region of Ghana. S...... for application at the early stage of patent Guinea worm infection....

Evaluation of community-based surveillance for Guinea worm, South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2012-08-03

Aug 3, 2012 ... deleted at the Data Manager Level in Loki. Conclusion. Community-based surveillance for guinea worm is a good example of a surveillance system on which an integrated disease surveillance system can be based in countries with poor surveillance like South Sudan. This makes its potential value to ...

Petri Net and Probabilistic Model Checking Based Approach for the Modelling, Simulation and Verification of Internet Worm Propagation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Misbah Razzaq

Full Text Available Internet worms are analogous to biological viruses since they can infect a host and have the ability to propagate through a chosen medium. To prevent the spread of a worm or to grasp how to regulate a prevailing worm, compartmental models are commonly used as a means to examine and understand the patterns and mechanisms of a worm spread. However, one of the greatest challenge is to produce methods to verify and validate the behavioural properties of a compartmental model. This is why in this study we suggest a framework based on Petri Nets and Model Checking through which we can meticulously examine and validate these models. We investigate Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR model and propose a new model Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered-Delayed-Quarantined (Susceptible/Recovered (SEIDQR(S/I along with hybrid quarantine strategy, which is then constructed and analysed using Stochastic Petri Nets and Continuous Time Markov Chain. The analysis shows that the hybrid quarantine strategy is extremely effective in reducing the risk of propagating the worm. Through Model Checking, we gained insight into the functionality of compartmental models. Model Checking results validate simulation ones well, which fully support the proposed framework.

DYNAMICS OF ALGAE NUMBER AND BIOMASS OF STEPPE BIOGEOCOENOSES AND AGROCOENOSES IN KHERSON REGION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shcherbina V.V.

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Characteristics of daily dynamics of seaweeds abundance and biomass were determined for steppe biogeocoenosis and agrocoenosis of Biosphere reserve “Askaniya-Nova” in spring of 2011. Fluctuation ranges in seaweeds abundance and biomass have been registered.Analyzing the indices of total number and algae biomass in studied biogeocoenoses it should be noted that the maximal values of alga number in virgin soil steppe exceeded minimal in 3,3 times; biomasses - in 2,1. For virgin soil steppe of post-fire-induced development the relation between maximum and minimal value of total number of algae was up to 2,1; biomass - 2,4. For agrocoenosis we noted the largest ranges in variation of number and biomass. In conditions of dry-land arable land the maximum values of total number of alga exceeded minimal in 21,9 times; biomasses - in 8,7; for irrigated arable land - in 12,5 and 5,6 respectively.In soil samples, selected within the limits of virgin soil biogeocoenoses of biosphere reserve “Askania-Nova” and agrocoenosis of dry-land and irrigated arable land in biosphere reserve by direct count, the algae species of Bacillariophyta, Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, Xanthophyta and Eustigmatophyta have been found. The largest contribution to number and biomass of algae belonged to Bacillariophyta. The number and biomass of agrocoenosis algae is more dynamic feature, than for algae of virgin soil biogeocoenoses.

Biomass plug development and propagation in porous media.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, T L; Fogler, H S

2001-02-05

Exopolymer-producing bacteria can be used to modify soil profiles for enhanced oil recovery or bioremediation. Understanding the mechanisms associated with biomass plug development and propagation is needed for successful application of this technology. These mechanisms were determined from packed-bed and micromodel experiments that simulate plugging in porous media. Leuconostoc mesenteroides was used, because production of dextran, a water-insoluble exopolymer, can be controlled by using different carbon sources. As dextran was produced, the pressure drop across the porous media increased and began to oscillate. Three pressure phases were identified under exopolymer-producing conditions: the exopolymer-induction phase, the plugging phase, and the plug-propagation phase. The exopolymer-induction phase extended from the time that exopolymer-producing conditions were induced until there was a measurable increase in pressure drop across the porous media. The plugging phase extended from the first increase in pressure drop until a maximum pressure drop was reached. Changes in pressure drop in these two phases were directly related to biomass distribution. Specifically, flow channels within the porous media filled with biomass creating a plugged region where convective flow occurred only in water channels within the biofilm. These water channels were more restrictive to flow causing the pressure drop to increase. At a maximum pressure drop across the porous media, the biomass yielded much like a Bingham plastic, and a flow channel was formed. This behavior marked the onset of the plug-propagation phase which was characterized by sequential development and breakthrough of biomass plugs. This development and breakthrough propagated the biomass plug in the direction of nutrient flow. The dominant mechanism associated with all three phases of plugging in porous media was exopolymer production; yield stress is an additional mechanism in the plug-propagation phase. Copyright

Effect of gamma-rays on some technologic properties of cocoon and filament of the silk worm (Bombyx mori L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binkh, T.T.; Petkov, N.; Malinova, K.

1993-01-01

The effect of irradiation of silk worm eggs with 1.00, 2.00, 3.00, 4.00, 5.00, 6.00 and 7.00 Gy gamma-rays on some major technologic properties of cocoons and filament of the mulbery silk worm was studied. Single irradiation of silk worm during the phase of highest lengthening of nucleus development causes both stimulating and inhibitory effect on the technologic properties of the cocoons and the filament. The degree of stimulation or inhibition is dependent on the irradiation dose, the specificity of technologic processes and biologic characteristics of silk worm species and hybrids. Gamma-irradiation with doses 2.00 and 3.00 Gy stimulates the increase in weight of silk covering by 2.07-8.28%, raw cocoon silkness by 0.38-3.21 points and length of cocoon filament by 40-151 m. Irradiation of silk worm eggs with 2.00-4.00 Gy gamma-rays decreases by 1.4-2.3 kg (12.61-21.91%) the quantity of raw cocoons, required for production of 1 kg grege. 9 refs., 4 tabs. (author)

Dracunculus medinensis (Guinea worm disease): a rare cause of calcification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gospos, C.

1980-01-01

Tangled whorly calcifications were seen in the abdominal subcutaneous tissues of a negro patient from Africa. The differential diagnosis of such calcifications - rarely observed in Europe - includes a variety of parasites. In this patient, Dracunculus medinensis (guinea worm disease) was the cause.

The influence of biomass quality on the purification of flue gases and multicyclone assembly material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Čikić

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Various types, forms and states affect the heating value of biomass and its conversion into exploitable energy forms. As a result of biomass quality investigations, the share of solid particles in flue gases purified in a multicyclone was measured and analyzed at various heating loads of a boiler, the maximum power of which amounts to 2,2 MW. This paper presents the influence of flue gases on the roughness and corrosiveness of multicyclone material inner wall. A corrective dimensional parameter of the multicyclone was suggested for the purpose of maximum purification of flue gases at unfavorable incineration conditions and biomass characteristics.

A study of palm biomass processing strategy in Sarawak

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, S. J. Y.; Ng, W. P. Q.; Law, K. H.

2017-06-01

In the past decades, palm industry is booming due to its profitable nature. An environmental concern regarding on the palm industry is the enormous amount of waste produced from palm industry. The waste produced or palm biomass is one significant renewable energy source and raw material for value-added products like fiber mats, activated carbon, dried fiber, bio-fertilizer and et cetera in Malaysia. There is a need to establish the palm biomass industry for the recovery of palm biomass for efficient utilization and waste reduction. The development of the industry is strongly depending on the two reasons, the availability and supply consistency of palm biomass as well as the availability of palm biomass processing facilities. In Malaysia, the development of palm biomass industry is lagging due to the lack of mature commercial technology and difficult logistic planning as a result of scattered locality of palm oil mill, where palm biomass is generated. Two main studies have been carried out in this research work: i) industrial study of the feasibility of decentralized and centralized palm biomass processing in Sarawak and ii) development of a systematic and optimized palm biomass processing planning for the development of palm biomass industry in Sarawak, Malaysia. Mathematical optimization technique is used in this work to model the above case scenario for biomass processing to achieve maximum economic potential and resource feasibility. An industrial study of palm biomass processing strategy in Sarawak has been carried out to evaluate the optimality of centralized processing and decentralize processing of the local biomass industry. An optimal biomass processing strategy is achieved.

Influence of tubificid worms on nutrient fluxes across water-sediment interface in fish farm settling ponds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Puigagut J.

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The influence of tubificid worms on nutrient translocation from water to fish farm sediments accumulating in settling ponds was addressed under laboratory conditions. Small microcosms of 0.5 L were filled up with 35 g of sludge from a fish farm settling pond and 0.15 L of filtered settling pond water. The experimental set up consisted of one control line (no worms added, a second experimental line with 1 mg of tubificid worms·g-1 fresh sediment (550 individuals·m-2 and a third experimental line with 40 mg of tubificid worms·g-1 fresh sediment (22 000 individuals·m-2. Nutrients translocation was determined by monitoring overlaying water concentration of ammonia, nitrate and phosphate for ten days. Results showed that abundances of 550 individuals·m-2 had no significant influence on the fluxes of nutrients here considered. However, the influence of higher abundances of tubificids (22 000 individuals·m-2 was of significant extent on the translocation of nitrate and phosphate. Accordingly, bioturbation of tubificids caused 55% lower nitrate uptake by the sediment when compared to control conditions. Phosphorus released by the sediments of the control condition was ca. 90% higher than that recorded under abundances of tubificids (22 000 individuals·m-2. Results obtained allowed us to estimate that fish farm settling ponds highly colonized by tubificid worms (22 000 individuals·m-2 may contribute to decrease phosphorus discharge (in terms of soluble phosphorus in ca. 5 g of P·ton-1 of fish produced.

Life-cycle of the European compost worm Dendrobaena veneta ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The life-cycle of Dendrobaena veneta was studied to assess the potential of this species in vermiculture. The development, growth and reproduction were investigated by rearing worms at 25°C on urine-free cattle manure with a moisture content of 80% over a period of 200 days. It was found that cocoons are produced at a ...

Faeco-histological Method of Studying Worm Endemicity with the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Worms are endemic in various parts of the world, the patterns varying from community to community, even in the same country. A rough index of those common among Nigerians of the Igbo ethnic group has been obtained using a histological study of the ova present in the luminal faeces of the vermiform appendix in 559 ...

Predictive modeling of biomass production by Chlorella vulgaris in a draft-tube airlift photobioreactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohsen Mansouri

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the growth rate of Chlorella vulgaris for CO2 biofixation and biomass production. Six mathematical growth models (Logistic, Gompertz, modified Gompertz, Baranyi, Morgan and Richards were used to evaluate the biomass productivity in continuous processes and to predict the following parameters of cell growth: lag phase duration (λ, maximum specific growth rate (μmax, and maximum cell concentration (Xmax. The low root-mean-square error (RMSE and high regression coefficients (R2 indicated that the models employed were well fitted to the experiment data and it could be regarded as enough to describe biomass production. Using statistical and physiological significance criteria, the Baranyi model was considered the most appropriate for quantifying biomass growth. The biological variables of this model are as follows: μmax=0.0309 h−1, λ=100 h, and Xmax=1.82 g/L.

Seasonal variation in biomass and species composition of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

April 2005 showed an average biomass value of 3.10 kg fresh wt/m. 2. /month with maximum ... were based on the weed washed ashore. Mantri and Chaugule ..... and phenology of Sargassum species and its recruit- ment dynamics have ...

A new reactor concept for sludge reduction using aquatic worms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elissen, H.J.H.; Hendrickx, T.L.G.; Temmink, B.G.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2006-01-01

Biological waste water treatment results in the production of waste sludge. The final treatment option in The Netherlands for this waste sludge is usually incineration. A biological approach to reduce the amount of waste sludge is through predation by aquatic worms. In this paper we test the

Allozyme variation in two populations of the Mopane worm, Imbrasia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aims of this study were to determine whether the limited flight ability of moths has an effect on gene flow between two geographically distant I. belina populations, whether there are gene expression differences between moths, worms and pupae and whether staggered generations have different genotypic expressions.

Co-combustion of low rank coal/waste biomass blends using dry air or oxygen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haykiri-Acma, H.; Yaman, S.; Kucukbayrak, S.

2013-01-01

Biomass species such as the rice husk and the olive milling residue, and a low quality Turkish coal, Soma Denis lignite, were burned in a thermal analyzer under pure oxygen and dry air up to 900 °C, and differential thermal analysis (DTA) and derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) analysis profiles were obtained. Co-combustion experiments of lignite/biomass blends containing 5–20 wt% of biomass were also performed. The effects of the oxidizer type and the blending ratio of biomass were evaluated considering some thermal reactivity indicators such as the maximum burning rate and its temperature, the maximum heat flow temperature, and the burnout levels. FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) were used to characterize the samples, and the variations in the combustion characteristics of the samples were interpreted based on the differences in the intrinsic properties of the samples. - Highlights: ► Co-combustion of lignite/biomass blends. ► The effects of the oxidizer type and the blending ratio. ► Effects of intrinsic properties on combustion characteristics.

Schistosoma mansoni: effects of anesthetics and antimonial drugs on worm shift in the mouse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Renan da Cunha-Melo

1986-08-01

Full Text Available Mice experimentally infected with Schistosoma mansoni were injected with sodium thiopental or sodium antimonyl gluconate (Triostib R, or submitted to halothane inhalation, with or without a previous injection of thiopental. Data obtained showed that halothane and thiopental induce worm shift to the liver (99 and 76%, respectively. Sodium gluconate and antimonium (Triostib R shifted 52% of worms towards the liver. These results seem to indicate that the use of antimonium would be unnecessary, when surgical removal of schistosomules is carried out through the extracorporeal filtration technique, in patients with portal hypertension.

Uptake of TiO2 Nanoparticles into C. elegans Neurons Negatively Affects Axonal Growth and Worm Locomotion Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Chun-Chih; Wu, Gong-Her; Hua, Tzu-En; Wagner, Oliver I; Yen, Ta-Jen

2018-03-14

We employ model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to effectively study the toxicology of anatase and rutile phase titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles (NPs). The experimental results show that nematode C. elegans can take up fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled TiO 2 NPs and that both anatase and rutile TiO 2 NPs can be detected in the cytoplasm of cultured primary neurons imaged by transmission electron microscopy. After TiO 2 NP exposure, these neurons also grow shorter axons, which may be related to the detected impeded worm locomotion behavior. Furthermore, anatase TiO 2 NPs did not affect the worm's body length; however, we determined that a concentration of 500 μg/mL of anatase TiO 2 NPs reduced the worm population by 50% within 72 h. Notably, rutile TiO 2 NPs negatively affect both the body size and worm population. Worms unable to enter the L4 larval stage explain a severe reduction in the worm population at TiO 2 NPs LC 50 /3d. To obtain a better understanding of the cellular mechanisms involved in TiO 2 NP intoxication, DNA microarray assays were employed to determine changes in gene expression in the presence or absence of TiO 2 NP exposure. Our data reveal that three genes (with significant changes in expression levels) were related to metal binding or metal detoxification (mtl-2, C45B2.2, and nhr-247), six genes were involved in fertility and reproduction (mtl-2, F26F2.3, ZK970.7, clec-70, K08C9.7, and C38C3.7), four genes were involved in worm growth and body morphogenesis (mtl-2, F26F2.3, C38C3.7, and nhr-247), and five genes were involved in neuronal function (C41G6.13, C45B2.2, srr-6, K08C9.7, and C38C3.7).

Guinea worm eradication program in Borno state: The need for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The objective of this study is to update the status of Guinea worm and Eradication Program in Borno State and to demonstrate the effectiveness of adopting appropriate intervention strategies. The assessment of the prevalence of Dracunculus medinensis was carried out by active case search. Three hundred and ten ...

Some parasitic worms in freshwater fishes and fish-predators from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This report concerns a collection of parasitic worms from South Africa, and contains a new species of monogenean, Gyrodactylus transvaalensis, six species of adult trematodes, including a new species of Phyllodistomum.P. van der waali, two metacercariae of the Family Clinostomidae and three of the Order Strigeida, ...

Failure analysis of the worm gear of the actuator of the motor-valve 2-N71-MV-1867; Analisis de falla del tornillo sin fin del actuador de la motovalvula 2-N71-MV-1867

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robles P, E. F.; Vazquez B, S.; Medina A, A. [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico); Mar M, S. P., E-mail: eduardo.robles@inin.gob.mx [Comision Federal de Electricidad, Central Nucleoelectrica Laguna Verde, Carretera Cardel-Nautla Km 42.5, Veracruz (Mexico)

2011-11-15

In this work the results of the tests realized to the worm gear of the actuator of the motor-valve type butterfly 2-N71-MV-1867 coming from the nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde area presented, to determine the failure mechanism that caused the fracture of two of their wires. These wires present a lines model of irregular contact, what suggests the existence of non alignment in the gear-wheel system. The chemical analysis by means of optical emission spectrophotometry showed that the worm gear was manufactured starting from steel grade machinery AISI 4320H. The metallographic analysis corroborated that the chord of the worm gear was hardened superficially by means of a thermochemistry treatment of cemented, reaching a maximum hardness of cemented layer in the contact area of 58 HRC and a thickness of effective layer of 1.2 mm, also the presence of carbides precipitated in grain limits in the cemented layer was found, that which is not desirable because this increases its fragility. Likewise in the nucleus a tempering structure too much soft was revealed, 22 HRC. The analysis of the extracted fracture surfaces of the cracked areas during the operation of the worm gear, they suggest that the fracture mechanism was the fatigue of the material, which was generated starting from an em brittle cemented surface and it is spread inside a nucleus of low mechanical resistance. (Author)

Effects on Packed Cell Volume and Parasitic Worm Load from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Their packed cell volumes were estimated with centrifuge hematocrit and stool examined for parasitic worms with saline wet prep microscopy. A dose of Albendazole was administered to the study group. The data presented in Microsoft Excel spread sheet, were then analysed using SPSS version 17, T-test and Chi Square ...

The life-cycle of the compost worm (Oligochaeta) | Venter | African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

To determine the full potential of the compost worm Eisenia fetida as waste processor and as source of protein, the life-cycle of this species had to be studied thoroughly. The development, growth and reproduction of Eisenia fetida were studied on cattle manure under favourable conditions of moisture, temperature and ...

Genetic parameters and relationships of faecal worm egg count with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The costs of internal parasite control and treatment are potentially very high in grazing sheep. Faecal worm egg count (FEC) has been suggested as a suitable criterion for selection for resistance to nematode infestation in livestock. Genetic parameter estimates for FEC and its relationship with wool traits were assessed in ...

Assessment of potential biomass energy production in China towards 2030 and 2050

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Guangling

2018-01-01

The objective of this paper is to provide a more detailed picture of potential biomass energy production in the Chinese energy system towards 2030 and 2050. Biomass for bioenergy feedstocks comes from five sources, which are agricultural crop residues, forest residues and industrial wood waste, energy crops and woody crops, animal manure, and municipal solid waste. The potential biomass production is predicted based on the resource availability. In the process of identifying biomass resources production, assumptions are made regarding arable land, marginal land, crops yields, forest growth rate, and meat consumption and waste production. Four scenarios were designed to describe the potential biomass energy production to elaborate the role of biomass energy in the Chinese energy system in 2030. The assessment shows that under certain restrictions on land availability, the maximum potential biomass energy productions are estimated to be 18,833 and 24,901 PJ in 2030 and 2050.

Anthelmintic activity in vivo of epiisopiloturine against juvenile and adult worms of Schistosoma mansoni.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria A Guimarães

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Schistosomiasis is a serious disease currently estimated to affect more that 207 million people worldwide. Due to the intensive use of praziquantel, there is increasing concern about the development of drug-resistant strains. Therefore, it is necessary to search for and investigate new potential schistosomicidal compounds. This work reports the in vivo effect of the alkaloid epiisopiloturine (EPI against adults and juvenile worms of Schistosoma mansoni. EPI was first purified its thermal behavior and theoretical solubility parameters charaterised. In the experiment, mice were treated with EPI over the 21 days post-infection with the doses of 40 and 200 mg/kg, and 45 days post-infection with single doses of 40, 100 and 300 mg/kg. The treatment with EPI at 40 mg/kg was more effective in adult worms when compared with doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg. The treatment with 40 mg/kg in adult worms reduced parasite burden significantly, lead to reduction in hepatosplenomegaly, reduced the egg burden in faeces, and decreased granuloma diameter. Scanning electron microscopy revealed morphological changes to the parasite tegument after treatment, including the loss of important features. Additionally, the in vivo treatment against juvenile with 40 mg/kg showed a reduction of the total worm burden of 50.2%. Histopathological studies were performed on liver, spleen, lung, kidney and brain and EPI was shown to have a DL50 of 8000 mg/kg. Therefore EPI shows potential to be used in schistosomiasis treatment. This is the first time that schistosomicidal in vivo activity of EPI has been reported.

Scenarios for power production with biomass in the Finnish forest industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nousiainen, I.K.; Malinen, H.O.; Villa, A.O.

1997-01-01

This study presents three scenarios for power production with biomass in Finnish pulp and paper mills. The basic scenario assumes that the production capacity in the forest industry increases as in the past. The green energy scenario assumes that there is a strong demand from the market for sustainable green energy production. The maximum scenario assumes that the production capacity of chemical pulp increases significantly and the use of wood raw material extends to the maximum level. According to the basic scenario the use of biofuels in the pulp and paper mills will increase from starting level, 3.24 Mtoe in 1992, to 5.07 Mtoe by the year 2010. The utilization potential of biofuels will increase to 5.45 Mtoe in green energy and to 6.43 Mtoe in the maximum biofuels scenario. The power production with biomass will increase from the starting level, 572 MW in 1992, to 930 MW in the basic, to 1 100 MW in the green energy and to 1 670 MW in the maximum biofuels scenario by the year 2010. (author)

Kilima-mrota is not a worm: the effect of conservation education and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Kilima-mrota is not a worm: the effect of conservation education and a local naming contest on the perspectives held by the peoples of Sagalla Hill, Kenya toward the Sagalla Caecilian Boulengerula niedeni.

Experimental Ascaris suum infection in the pig: protective memory response after three immunizations and effect of intestinal adult worm population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jungersen, Gregers; Eriksen, Lis; Roepstorff, Allan

1999-01-01

The protective immune response to larval migration in pigs, with or without adult intestinal worm populations, 10 weeks after 3 weekly Ascaris suum inoculations, was studied in 45 pigs. Controlled adult worm populations were achieved by oral transfer of 10 adult worms to previously immunized pigs...... after anthelmintic drenching. A significant reduction in larval recovery from lungs on day 7, and small intestine on day 14, was observed in immunized pigs compared with previously uninfected control pigs after challenge inoculation. The strong anamnestic response to larval migration was characterized...

Global coordination and standardisation in marine biodiversity through the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS and related databases.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark J Costello

Full Text Available The World Register of Marine Species is an over 90% complete open-access inventory of all marine species names. Here we illustrate the scale of the problems with species names, synonyms, and their classification, and describe how WoRMS publishes online quality assured information on marine species. Within WoRMS, over 100 global, 12 regional and 4 thematic species databases are integrated with a common taxonomy. Over 240 editors from 133 institutions and 31 countries manage the content. To avoid duplication of effort, content is exchanged with 10 external databases. At present WoRMS contains 460,000 taxonomic names (from Kingdom to subspecies, 368,000 species level combinations of which 215,000 are currently accepted marine species names, and 26,000 related but non-marine species. Associated information includes 150,000 literature sources, 20,000 images, and locations of 44,000 specimens. Usage has grown linearly since its launch in 2007, with about 600,000 unique visitors to the website in 2011, and at least 90 organisations from 12 countries using WoRMS for their data management. By providing easy access to expert-validated content, WoRMS improves quality control in the use of species names, with consequent benefits to taxonomy, ecology, conservation and marine biodiversity research and management. The service manages information on species names that would otherwise be overly costly for individuals, and thus minimises errors in the application of nomenclature standards. WoRMS' content is expanding to include host-parasite relationships, additional literature sources, locations of specimens, images, distribution range, ecological, and biological data. Species are being categorised as introduced (alien, invasive, of conservation importance, and on other attributes. These developments have a multiplier effect on its potential as a resource for biodiversity research and management. As a consequence of WoRMS, we are witnessing improved

Global Coordination and Standardisation in Marine Biodiversity through the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and Related Databases

Science.gov (United States)

Bouchet, Philippe; Boxshall, Geoff; Fauchald, Kristian; Gordon, Dennis; Hoeksema, Bert W.; Poore, Gary C. B.; van Soest, Rob W. M.; Stöhr, Sabine; Walter, T. Chad; Vanhoorne, Bart; Decock, Wim

2013-01-01

The World Register of Marine Species is an over 90% complete open-access inventory of all marine species names. Here we illustrate the scale of the problems with species names, synonyms, and their classification, and describe how WoRMS publishes online quality assured information on marine species. Within WoRMS, over 100 global, 12 regional and 4 thematic species databases are integrated with a common taxonomy. Over 240 editors from 133 institutions and 31 countries manage the content. To avoid duplication of effort, content is exchanged with 10 external databases. At present WoRMS contains 460,000 taxonomic names (from Kingdom to subspecies), 368,000 species level combinations of which 215,000 are currently accepted marine species names, and 26,000 related but non-marine species. Associated information includes 150,000 literature sources, 20,000 images, and locations of 44,000 specimens. Usage has grown linearly since its launch in 2007, with about 600,000 unique visitors to the website in 2011, and at least 90 organisations from 12 countries using WoRMS for their data management. By providing easy access to expert-validated content, WoRMS improves quality control in the use of species names, with consequent benefits to taxonomy, ecology, conservation and marine biodiversity research and management. The service manages information on species names that would otherwise be overly costly for individuals, and thus minimises errors in the application of nomenclature standards. WoRMS' content is expanding to include host-parasite relationships, additional literature sources, locations of specimens, images, distribution range, ecological, and biological data. Species are being categorised as introduced (alien, invasive), of conservation importance, and on other attributes. These developments have a multiplier effect on its potential as a resource for biodiversity research and management. As a consequence of WoRMS, we are witnessing improved communication within the

Furfural production from biomass pretreatment hydrolysate using vapor-releasing reactor system.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lu; Chang, Hou-Min; Jameel, Hasan; Park, Sunkyu

2018-03-01

Biomass hydrolysate from autohydrolysis pretreatment was used for furfural production considering it is in rich of xylose, xylo-oligomers, and other decomposition products from hemicellulose structure. By using the vapor-releasing reactor system, furfural was protected from degradation by separating it from the reaction media. The maximum furfural yield of 73% was achieved at 200 °C for biomass hydrolysate without the use of the catalyst. This is because the presence of organic acids such as acetic acid in hydrolysate functioned as a catalyst. According to the results in this study, biomass hydrolysate with a vapor-releasing system proves to be efficient for furfural production. The biorefinery process which allows the separation of xylose-rich autohydrolysate from other parts from biomass feedstock also improves the overall application of the biomass. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Survey of Optimal Temperature and Moisture for Worms Growth and Operating Vermicompost Production of Food Wastes

OpenAIRE

A Eslami; A Nabaey; R Rostami

2009-01-01

"n "nBackground and Objectives:Nowadays vermicompost production of food wastes is posed as one of appropriate methods to food wastes. disposal, its production used in agriculture and gardening. Moreover this process has some by products beside useful fertilizer that one of them is the worms. we can use them in variety of products specially in production of poultry and fish food. So determination of optimal condition for operating vermicompost production process of food wastes and worms. growt...

Bird communities and biomass yields in potential bioenergy grasslands.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter J Blank

Full Text Available Demand for bioenergy is increasing, but the ecological consequences of bioenergy crop production on working lands remain unresolved. Corn is currently a dominant bioenergy crop, but perennial grasslands could produce renewable bioenergy resources and enhance biodiversity. Grassland bird populations have declined in recent decades and may particularly benefit from perennial grasslands grown for bioenergy. We asked how breeding bird community assemblages, vegetation characteristics, and biomass yields varied among three types of potential bioenergy grassland fields (grass monocultures, grass-dominated fields, and forb-dominated fields, and assessed tradeoffs between grassland biomass production and bird habitat. We also compared the bird communities in grassland fields to nearby cornfields. Cornfields had few birds compared to perennial grassland fields. Ten bird Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN were observed in perennial grassland fields. Bird species richness and total bird density increased with forb cover and were greater in forb-dominated fields than grass monocultures. SGCN density declined with increasing vertical vegetation density, indicating that tall, dense grassland fields managed for maximum biomass yield would be of lesser value to imperiled grassland bird species. The proportion of grassland habitat within 1 km of study sites was positively associated with bird species richness and the density of total birds and SGCNs, suggesting that grassland bioenergy fields may be more beneficial for grassland birds if they are established near other grassland parcels. Predicted total bird density peaked below maximum biomass yields and predicted SGCN density was negatively related to biomass yields. Our results indicate that perennial grassland fields could produce bioenergy feedstocks while providing bird habitat. Bioenergy grasslands promote agricultural multifunctionality and conservation of biodiversity in working landscapes.

Experimental study of the production of biomass by Sacharomyces ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SERVER

2008-04-17

Apr 17, 2008 ... h-1 exceeds by far the maximum specific growth rate of the yeast under aerobic condition as obtained ... use for bread-making, a staple food for large section of ..... mental yield of biomass may be inaccurate measurement.

An evaluation of the regional supply of biomass at three midwestern sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

English, B.C.; Dillivan, K.D.; Ojo, M.A.; Alexander, R.R. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Graham, R.L. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1993-12-31

Research has been conducted on both the agronomy and the conversion of biomass. However, few studies have been initiated that combine the knowledge of growing biomass with site specific resource availability information. An economic appraisal of how much biomass might be grown in a specific area for a given price has only just been initiated. This paper examines the economics of introducing biomass production to three midwest representative areas centered on the following counties, Orange County, Indiana; Olmsted County, Minnesota; and Cass County, North Dakota. Using a regional linear programming model, estimates of economic feasibility as well as environmental impacts are made. At a price of $53 per metric ton the biomass supplied to the plant gate is equal to 183,251 metric tons. At $62 per metric ton the biomass supply has increased to almost 1 million metric tons. The model predicts a maximum price of $88 per metric ton and at this price, 2,748,476 metric tons of biomass are produced.

Biomass Thermogravimetric Analysis: Uncertainty Determination Methodology and Sampling Maps Generation

Science.gov (United States)

Pazó, Jose A.; Granada, Enrique; Saavedra, Ángeles; Eguía, Pablo; Collazo, Joaquín

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop a methodology for the determination of the maximum sampling error and confidence intervals of thermal properties obtained from thermogravimetric analysis (TG), including moisture, volatile matter, fixed carbon and ash content. The sampling procedure of the TG analysis was of particular interest and was conducted with care. The results of the present study were compared to those of a prompt analysis, and a correlation between the mean values and maximum sampling errors of the methods were not observed. In general, low and acceptable levels of uncertainty and error were obtained, demonstrating that the properties evaluated by TG analysis were representative of the overall fuel composition. The accurate determination of the thermal properties of biomass with precise confidence intervals is of particular interest in energetic biomass applications. PMID:20717532

PCB concentrations in intertidal sipunculan (Phylum Sipuncula) marine worms from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spongberg, Alison L.

2006-01-01

Specimens of the sipunculans Phascolosoma perlucens, Antillesoma antillarum, and Sipunculus nudus, were collected for PCB analysis in three coastal embayments of the Pacific coast of Costa Rica in October 2005. After collection the worms were kept in cool sea water and transferred to the laboratory for freeze drying. Half of the specimens of S. nudus were purified in filtered sea water for 72 h before freeze drying. The whole worm sample was ground, using a mortar and pestle prior to being extracted with dichloromethane solvent. The extract was cleaned using a florisil column and analyzed using a 6890 Hewlett-Packard gas chromatograph equipped with a mass selective detector. Recovery efficiencies averaged between 72 and 80 %. Data are not corrected for blank or recovery efficiencies. Concentration data were calculated based on comparison with standards for Arochlor 1221, 1242, 1248 and 1254 (Supelco, Inc.). No worm samples were identified with six of more chlorine atoms. However, the higher chlorinated congeners were identified in the standards. Therefore, the lack of chlorination in the worms was not an analytical artifact. The sum of identifiable PCBs ranged from a barely discernible 0.01 ng/g dry wt in an A. antillarum sample from Bahia de Culebra to 67.71 ng/g dry wt in a P. perlucens sample obtained near the Rio Rincon in the inner Golfo Dulce. S. nudus worm samples from the Cocorocas sand flat in the Golfo de Nicoya had relatively high concentrations of PCBs whether they were purified or not. The samples from Costa Rica are low in PCBs, especially compared to the marine sediment samples measured previously in Costa Rica. This was the first attempt to identify and quantify the presence of PCBs in any marine organisms from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. (author) [es

The development situation of biomass gasification power generation in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Zhaoqiu; Yin, Xiuli; Xu, Jie; Ma, Longlong

2012-01-01

This work presents the development situation of biomass gasification power generation technology in China and analyzes the difficulty and challenge in the development process. For China, a large agricultural country with abundant biomass resources, the utilization of biomass gasification power generation technology is of special importance, because it can contribute to the electricity structure diversification under the present coal-dominant electricity structure, ameliorate the environmental impact, provide energy to electricity-scarce regions and solve the problems facing agriculture. Up to now, China has developed biomass gasification power generation plants of different types and scales, including simple gas engine-based power generation systems with capacity from several kW to 3 MW and integrated gasification combined cycle systems with capacity of more than 5 MW. In recent years, due to the rising cost of biomass material, transportation, manpower, etc., the final cost of biomass power generation has increased greatly, resulting in a serious challenge in the Chinese electricity market even under present preferential policy for biomass power price. However, biomass gasification power generation technology is generally in accord with the characteristics of biomass resources in China, has relatively good adaptability and viability, and so has good prospect in China in the future. - Highlights: ► Biomass gasification power generation of 2 kW–2 MW has wide utilization in China. ► 5.5 MW biomass IGCC demonstration plant has maximum power efficiency of up to 30%. ► Biomass power generation is facing a serious challenge due to biomass cost increase.

Pore-scale investigation of biomass plug development and propagation in porous media.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Terri L; Scott Fogler, H

2002-03-05

Biomass plugging of porous media finds application in enhanced oil recovery and bioremediation. An understanding of biomass plugging of porous media was sought by using a porous glass micromodel through which biomass and nutrient were passed. This study describes the pore-scale physics of biomass plug propagation of Leuconostoc mesenteroides under nutrient-rich conditions. It was found that, as the nutrient flowed through the micromodel, the initial biomass plug occurred at the nutrient-inoculum interface due to growth in the larger pore throats. As growth proceeded, biomass filled and closed these larger pore throats, until only isolated groupings of pore throats with smaller radii remained empty. As nutrient flow continued, a maximum pressure drop was reached. At the maximum pressure drop, the biomass yielded in a manner similar to a Bingham plastic to form a breakthrough channel consisting of a path of interconnected pore throats. The channel incorporated the isolated groupings of empty pore throats that had been present before breakthrough. As the nutrient flow continued, subsequent plugs developed as breakthrough channels refilled with biomass and in situ growth was stimulated in the region just downstream of the previous plug. The downstream plugs had a higher fraction of isolated groupings of empty pore throats, which can be attributed to depletion of nutrient downstream. When the next breakthrough channel formed, it incorporated these isolated groupings, causing the breakthrough channels to be branched. It was observed that the newly formed plug could be less stable with this higher fraction of empty pore throats and that the location of breakthrough channels changed in subsequent plugs. This change in breakthrough channel location could be attributed to the redistribution of nutrient flow and the changes in flowrate in the pore throats. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 77: 577-588, 2002; DOI 10.1002/bit.10044

Influence of crude glycerol on the biomass and lipid content of microalgae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Hee-Jeong; Yu, Sung-Whan

2015-01-01

The growth of the algae Chlorella vulgaris, Botryococcus braunii and Scenedesmus sp. under mixotrophic conditions in the presence of different concentrations of crude glycerol was evaluated with the objective of increasing the biomass growth and algal oil content. A high biomass concentration was characteristic of these strains when grown on crude glycerol compared to autotrophic growth, and 5 g/L glycerol yielded the highest biomass concentration for these strains. Mixotrophic conditions improved both the growth of the microalgae and the accumulation of triacylglycerols (TAGs). The maximum amount of TAGs in the algae biomass was obtained in the 5 g/L glycerol growth medium. The fatty acid profiles of the oil for the cultures met the necessary requirements and the strains are promising resources for biofuel production. Keywords: biomass; glycerol; microalgae; mixotrophic; oil content

Potential Test of Irradiated Vaccine for Haemonchus Contortus Worm and Food Supplement on Sheep

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sukardji Partodiharjo; Arifin, M.; Endang Yuliawati; Enuh Rahardjo

2004-01-01

An experiment of vaccines was carried out is one of Nematoda worm present in abomasums or stomach of sheep or goat. The case in the field was high enough, may teach 60% the aim of this study is on observe the effect of gastric worm vaccination irradiated 5000 L 3 post challenge wild strain 5000 L 3 , The parameter of observe were clinic, blood twice description number of adult worms, with 3 treatments as follows; control (K), V 2 = twice vaccinations without challenge V 1 twice vaccinations with challenge. The result of the study the average of gain (gram); V 1 =97, V 2 =91 and K=31.20 (P 6 ), V 1 =6.50, V 2 =5.90 and K=6.10 (P 1 =29.30, V 2 =35.30 and K=27.50 (P 3 ), V 1 =9.30, V 2 =9.00 and K=7.40 (P 1 =8.30, V 2 =9.50 and K=6.20 (P 1 immunity respond of weight gain, erythrocyte and leucocyte to have immunity which is better than the respond of other treatments. (author)

Metabolic rates, enzyme activities and chemical compositions of some deep-sea pelagic worms, particularly Nectonemertes mirabilis (Nemertea; Hoplonemertinea) and Poeobius meseres (Annelida; Polychaeta)

Science.gov (United States)

Thuesen, Erik V.; Childress, James J.

1993-05-01

Investigations of metabolic rate, enzyme activity and chemical composition were undertaken on two abundant deep-sea pelagic worms: Nectonemertes mirabilis (Nemertea; Hoplonemertinea) and Poeobius meseres (Annelida; Polychaeta). Six other species of worms ( Pelagonemertes brinkmanni (Nemertea) and the following polychaetes: Pelagobia species A, Tomopteris nisseni, Tomopteris pacifica, Tomopteris species A, and Traviopsis lobifera) were captured in smaller numbers and used for comparison in the physiological and biochemical measurements. Polychaete worms had the highest oxygen consumption rates and, along with N. mirabilis, displayed significant size effects on metabolic rate. Poeobius meseres had the lowest rates of oxygen consumption and displayed no significant relationship of oxygen consumption rate to wet weight. No significant effect of size on the activities of citrate synthase, lactate dehydrogenase or pyruvate kinase was observed in P. meseres or N. mirabilis. Lipid content was higher than protein content for all the worms in this study. Carbohydrate was of little significance in these worms and was usually metabolic rates. It appears that polychaete worms as a group have higher metabolic rates than bathypelagic shrimps, copepods and fishes, and may be the animals with the highest metabolic rates in the bathypelagic regions of the world's oceans.

Schistosoma mansoni: quantitative aspects of the fertility and survival of worms obtained from irradiated cercariae (3 Krad), in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sa Cardoso, G. de; Coelho, P.M.Z.

1990-01-01

The effect of gamma irradiation on the fertility of female mice, as well as the survival of worms in their portal system, have been observed in four groups of outbred albino mice (Mus musculus), experimentally infected with ca 450 cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni (LE and SJ strains), by transcutaneous route. The cercariae used were a) non-irradiated (control groups), and b) irradiated with 3 Krad of gamma irradiation (Co-60). From the 33 rd day on, some stability in the population of surviving worm could be observed. This population remained constant till the end of the observation period (90 th day), notedly in relation to the LE strain . Thus, it was concluded that gamma irradiation (at the dose of 3 Krad) is able to hinder the worm egg production in 98.1% of the infected mice. Further, it was observed that the few detected eggs were dead. Females were found to be more resistant to irradiation. The irradiation effect on the mortality of male worms was statistically significant scarcely from the 61 st day on. The long period of permanence of the sterile adult irradiated worms in the portal system of mice and their probable involvement in the development of immuno-protection (the so-called concomitant immunity, without the immuno-pathological involvements for the host) are here discussed. (author)

Bioremediation of oxytetracycline in seawater by living and dead biomass of the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

Science.gov (United States)

Santaeufemia, Sergio; Torres, Enrique; Mera, Roi; Abalde, Julio

2016-12-15

Due to its use, a large amount of Oxytetracycline (OTC) is released into water, which has a detrimental impact on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Although there are different physicochemical methods (mainly photodegradation) to remove OTC, there is increasing interest in the use of bioremediation. The sorption characteristics of OTC using living and dead biomass of the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum have been investigated in this study. Kinetics, isotherms and maximum elimination capacity were tested and discussed. Kinetic studies showed that the OTC removal by living biomass followed a sigmoidal model. However, the dead biomass followed a pseudo-first order model. The living biomass showed higher efficiency than the dead biomass with maximum sorption capacities of 29.18mgg -1 and 4.54mgg -1 , respectively. Combination of living biomass and photodegradation under the culture conditions eliminated 13.2mgL -1 of OTC during 11h of culture and with an initial OTC concentration of 15mgL -1 . With an initial OTC concentration of 2.5mgL -1 , 97% of OTC was removed. This removal was mainly caused by bioremediation than by photodegradation. The results proved the potential practical application of the living P. tricornutum biomass for a low-cost and efficient removal of OTC from seawater. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Worm burden and leukocyte response in Angiostrongylus malaysiensis-infected rats: the influence of testosterone.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamis, A B; Ahmad, R A; Badrul-Munir, M Z

1992-01-01

Gonadectomized male albino rats aged 7 weeks were given 1.5 mg/kg testosterone propionate daily and inoculated with 50 third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus malaysiensis. The treatment significantly increased the number of larvae and adult worms recovered from the brain and pulmonary arteries, respectively, and the rats exhibited smaller thymus glands. The total numbers of leukocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and especially eosinophils increased significantly post-infection, but the counts were higher in the untreated infected controls. Presumably, immunosuppressive effects of testosterone may at least partly be responsible for the higher loads of A. malaysiensis worms found in male rats as compared with females in the field.

The hatching larva of the priapulid worm Halicryptus spinulosus

OpenAIRE

Janssen, Ralf; Wennberg, Sofia A; Budd, Graham E

2009-01-01

Abstract Despite their increasing evolutionary importance, basic knowledge about the priapulid worms remains limited. In particular, priapulid development has only been partially documented. Following previous description of hatching and the earliest larval stages of Priapulus caudatus, we here describe the hatching larva of Halicryptus spinulosus. Comparison of the P. caudatus and the H. spinulosus hatching larvae allows us to attempt to reconstruct the ground pattern of priapulid developmen...

Hybrid epidemic spreading - from Internet worms to HIV infection

OpenAIRE

Zhang, C.

2015-01-01

Epidemic phenomena are ubiquitous, ranging from infectious diseases, computer viruses, to information dissemination. Epidemics have traditionally been studied as a single spreading process, either in a fully mixed population or on a network. Many epidemics, however, are hybrid, employing more than one spreading mechanism. For example, the Internet worm Conficker spreads locally targeting neighbouring computers in local networks as well as globally by randomly probing any computer on the Inter...

Accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from creosote-contaminated soil in selected plants and the oligochaete worm Enchytraeus crypticus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ann-Sofie Allard; Marianne Malmberg; Alasdair H. Neilson; Mikael Remberger [IVL, Stockholm (Sweden). Swedish Environmental Research Institute

2005-07-01

The accumulation of PAHs from a creosote-contaminated soil was examined in laboratory experiments using English ryegrass (Lolium perenne), white clover (Trifolium repens) and radish (Raphanus sativus), and the oligochaete worm Enchytraeus crypticus. Toxicity to the plants and the worms was assessed, and a soil sample mixed with calcined sand was used for accumulation experiments to avoid interference from toxicity in the soil. Accumulation of potentially carcinogenic PAHs varied among the plants, and there was a linear relation between concentrations of PAHs in the soil and in the plants. Correlations between values of the biota-soil accumulation factors and octanol-water partition coefficients, or water solubility varied among the plants and were rather weak, so that lipophilic character or water solubility of the PAHs alone cannot explain PAH accumulation. Accumulation of carcinogenic PAHs from the soil, in the presence of the other PAHs was greatest for Trifolium repens. PAHs were accumulated in the oligochaete worm (Enchytraeus crypticus), and biota-soil accumulation factors exceeded those for the plants. It is suggested that site-specific evaluation of contaminated sites should include not only chemical analysis and evaluation of toxicity but also accumulation of contaminants into biota such as plants and worms.

Agar Sediment Test for Assessing the Suitability of Organic Waste Streams for Recovering Nutrients by the Aquatic Worm Lumbriculus variegatus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laarhoven, Bob; Elissen, H.J.H.; Temmink, H.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2016-01-01

An agar sediment test was developed to evaluate the suitability of organic waste streams from the food industry for recovering nutrients by the aquatic worm Lumbriculus variegatus (Lv). The effects of agar gel, sand, and food quantities in the sediment test on worm growth, reproduction, and water

Biogeographical patterns of biomass allocation in leaves, stems, and roots in China's forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hao; Wang, Kelin; Xu, Xianli; Song, Tongqing; Xu, Yanfang; Zeng, Fuping

2015-11-03

To test whether there are general patterns in biomass partitioning in relation to environmental variation when stand biomass is considered, we investigated biomass allocation in leaves, stems, and roots in China's forests using both the national forest inventory data (2004-2008) and our field measurements (2011-2012). Distribution patterns of leaf, stem, and root biomass showed significantly different trends according to latitude, longitude, and altitude, and were positively and significantly correlated with stand age and mean annual precipitation. Trade-offs among leaves, stems, and roots varied with forest type and origin and were mainly explained by stand biomass. Based on the constraints of stand biomass, biomass allocation was also influenced by forest type, origin, stand age, stand density, mean annual temperature, precipitation, and maximum temperature in the growing season. Therefore, after stand biomass was accounted for, the residual variation in biomass allocation could be partially explained by stand characteristics and environmental factors, which may aid in quantifying carbon cycling in forest ecosystems and assessing the impacts of climate change on forest carbon dynamics in China.

Comparative study of coal and biomass co-combustion with coal burning separately through emissions analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siddique, M.; Asadullah, A.; Khan, G.; Soomro, S.A.

2016-01-01

Appropriate eco-friendly methos to mitigate the problem of emissions from combustion of fossil fuel are highly demanded. The current study was focused on the effect of using coal and coal biomass co-combustion on the gaseous emissions. Different biomass were used along with coal. The coal used was lignite coal and the biomass' were tree waste, cow dung and banana tree leaves Various ratios of coal and biomass were used to investigate the combustion behavior of coal cow dung and 100% banana tree leaves emits less emission of CO, CO/sub 2/, NOx and SO/sub 2/ as compared to 100% coal, Maximum amount of CO emission were 1510.5 ppm for bannana tree waste and minimum amount obtained for lakhra coal and cow dung manure (70:30) of 684.667 leaves (90:10) and minimum amount of SO/sub 2/ present in samples is in lakhra coal-banana tree waste (80:20). The maximum amount of NO obtained for banana tree waste were 68 ppm whereas amount from cow dung manure (30.83 ppm). The study concludes that utilization of biomass with coal could make remedial action against environment pollution. (author)

Influence of light presence and biomass concentration on nutrient kinetic removal from urban wastewater by Scenedesmus obliquus.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz, J; Arbib, Z; Alvarez-Díaz, P D; Garrido-Pérez, C; Barragán, J; Perales, J A

2014-05-20

This work was aimed at studying the effect of light-darkness and high-low biomass concentrations in the feasibility of removing nitrogen and phosphorus from urban treated wastewater by the microalga Scenedesmus obliquus. Laboratory experiments were conducted in batch, where microalgae were cultured under different initial biomass concentrations (150 and 1500mgSSl(-1)) and light conditions (dark or illuminated). Nutrient uptake was more dependent on internal nutrient content of the biomass than on light presence or biomass concentration. When a maximum nitrogen or phosphorus content in the biomass was reached (around 8% and 2%, respectively), the removal of that nutrient was almost stopped. Biomass concentration affected more than light presence on the nutrient removal rate, increasing significantly with its increase. Light was only required to remove nutrients when the maximum nutrient storage capacity of the cells was reached and further growth was therefore needed. Residence times to maintain a stable biomass concentration, avoiding the washout of the reactor, were much higher than those needed to remove the nutrients from the wastewater. This ability to remove nutrients in the absence of light could lead to new configurations of reactors aimed to wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

From early lessons to new frontiers: The worm as a treasure trove of small RNA biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elaine M. Youngman

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In the past twenty years, the tiny soil nematode C. elegans has provided critical insights into our understanding of the breadth of small RNA-mediated gene regulatory activities. The first microRNA was identified in C. elegans in 1993, and the understanding that dsRNA was the driving force behind RNA-mediated gene silencing came from experiments performed in C. elegans in 1998. Likewise, early genetic screens in C. elegans for factors involved in RNAi pointed to conserved mechanisms for small RNA-mediated gene silencing pathways, placing the worm squarely among the founding fathers of a now extensive field of molecular biology. Today, the worm continues to be at the forefront of ground-breaking insight into small RNA-mediated biology. Recent studies have revealed with increasing mechanistic clarity that C. elegans possesses an extensive nuclear small RNA regulatory network that encompasses not only gene silencing but also gene activating roles. Further, a portrait is emerging whereby small RNA pathways play key roles in integrating responses to environmental stimuli and transmitting epigenetic information about such responses from one generation to the next. Here we discuss endogenous small RNA pathways in C. elegans and the insight worm biology has provided into the mechanisms employed by these pathways. We touch on the increasingly spectacular diversity of small RNA biogenesis and function, and discuss the relevance of lessons learned in the worm for human biology.

From early lessons to new frontiers: the worm as a treasure trove of small RNA biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Youngman, Elaine M; Claycomb, Julie M

2014-01-01

In the past 20 years, the tiny soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has provided critical insights into our understanding of the breadth of small RNA-mediated gene regulatory activities. The first microRNA was identified in C. elegans in 1993, and the understanding that dsRNA was the driving force behind RNA-mediated gene silencing came from experiments performed in C. elegans in 1998. Likewise, early genetic screens in C. elegans for factors involved in RNA interference pointed to conserved mechanisms for small RNA-mediated gene silencing pathways, placing the worm squarely among the founding fathers of a now extensive field of molecular biology. Today, the worm continues to be at the forefront of ground-breaking insight into small RNA-mediated biology. Recent studies have revealed with increasing mechanistic clarity that C. elegans possesses an extensive nuclear small RNA regulatory network that encompasses not only gene silencing but also gene activating roles. Further, a portrait is emerging whereby small RNA pathways play key roles in integrating responses to environmental stimuli and transmitting epigenetic information about such responses from one generation to the next. Here we discuss endogenous small RNA pathways in C. elegans and the insight worm biology has provided into the mechanisms employed by these pathways. We touch on the increasingly spectacular diversity of small RNA biogenesis and function, and discuss the relevance of lessons learned in the worm for human biology.

Human Schistosoma haematobium antifecundity immunity is dependent on transmission intensity and associated with immunoglobulin G1 to worm-derived antigens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wilson, Shona; Jones, Frances M.; van Dam, Govert J.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Immunity that reduces worm fecundity and, in turn, reduces morbidity is proposed for Schistosoma haematobium, a parasite of major public health importance. Mathematical models of epidemiological trends suggest that antifecundity immunity is dependent on antibody responses to adult......-worm-derived antigen. METHODS: For a Malian cohort (age, 5-29 years) residing in high-transmission fishing villages or a moderate-transmission village, worm fecundity was assessed using the ratio of urinary egg excretion to levels of circulating anodic antigen, a Schistosoma-specific antigen that is steadily secreted......, host age and transmission were negatively associated with worm fecundity. A significant interaction term between host age and transmission indicates that antifecundity immunity develops earlier in high-transmission areas. SWA immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) levels explained the effect of transmission...

Expression of five acetylcholine receptor subunit genes in Brugia malayi adult worms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ben-Wen Li

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Acetylcholine receptors (AChRs are required for body movement in parasitic nematodes and are targets of “classical” anthelmintic drugs such as levamisole and pyrantel and of newer drugs such as tribendimidine and derquantel. While neurotransmission explains the effects of these drugs on nematode movement, their effects on parasite reproduction are unexplained. The levamisole AChR type (L-AChRs in Caenorhabditis elegans is comprised of five subunits: Cel-UNC-29, Cel-UNC-38, Cel-UNC-63, Cel-LEV-1 and Cel-LEV-8. The genome of the filarial parasite Brugia malayi contains nine AChRs subunits including orthologues of Cel-unc-29, Cel-unc-38, and Cel-unc-63. We performed in situ hybridization with RNA probes to localize the expression of five AChR genes (Bm1_35890-Bma-unc-29, Bm1_20330-Bma-unc-38, Bm1_38195-Bma-unc-63, Bm1_48815-Bma-acr-26 and Bm1_40515-Bma-acr-12 in B. malayi adult worms. Four of these genes had similar expression patterns with signals in body muscle, developing embryos, spermatogonia, uterine wall adjacent to stretched microfilariae, wall of Vas deferens, and lateral cord. Three L-AChR subunit genes (Bma-unc-29, Bma-unc-38 and Bma-unc-63 were expressed in body muscle, which is a known target of levamisole. Bma-acr-12 was co-expressed with these levamisole subunit genes in muscle, and this suggests that its protein product may form receptors with other alpha subunits. Bma-acr-26 was expressed in male muscle but not in female muscle. Strong expression signals of these genes in early embryos and gametes in uterus and testis suggest that AChRs may have a role in nervous system development of embryogenesis and spermatogenesis. This would be consistent with embryotoxic effects of drugs that target these receptors in filarial worms. Our data show that the expression of these receptor genes is tightly regulated with regard to localization in adult worms and developmental stage in embryos and gametes. These results may help to explain the

Experimental workflow for developing a feed forward strategy to control biomass growth and exploit maximum specific methane productivity of Methanothermobacter marburgensis in a biological methane production process (BMPP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Krajete

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Recently, interests for new biofuel generations allowing conversion of gaseous substrate(s to gaseous product(s arose for power to gas and waste to value applications. An example is biological methane production process (BMPP with Methanothermobacter marburgensis. The latter, can convert carbon dioxide (CO2 and hydrogen (H2, having different origins and purities, to methane (CH4, water and biomass. However, these gas converting bioprocesses are tendentiously gas limited processes and the specific methane productivity per biomass amount (qCH4 tends to be low. Therefore, this contribution proposes a workflow for the development of a feed forward strategy to control biomass, growth (rx and qCH4 in a continuous gas limited BMPP. The proposed workflow starts with a design of experiment (DoE to optimize media composition and search for a liquid based limitation to control selectively growth. From the DoE it came out that controlling biomass growth was possible independently of the dilution and gassing rate applied while not affecting methane evolution rates (MERs. This was done by shifting the process from a natural gas limited state to a controlled liquid limited growth. The latter allowed exploiting the maximum biocatalytic activity for methane formation of Methanothermobacter marburgensis. An increase of qCH4 from 42 to 129 mmolCH4 g−1 h−1 was achieved by applying a liquid limitation compare with the reference state. Finally, a verification experiment was done to verify the feeding strategy transferability to a different process configuration. This evidenced the ratio of the fed KH2PO4 to rx (R(FKH2PO4/rx has an appropriate parameter for scaling feeds in a continuous gas limited BMPP. In the verification experiment CH4 was produced in a single bioreactor step at a methane evolution rate (MER of   132 mmolCH4*L−1*h−1 at a CH4 purity of 93 [Vol.%].

Fungal Biomass Protein Production from Trichoderma harzianum Using Rice Polishing.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Sibtain; Mustafa, Ghulam; Arshad, Muhammad; Rajoka, Muhammad Ibrahim

2017-01-01

Industrially important enzymes and microbial biomass proteins have been produced from fungi for more than 50 years. High levels of crude protein as much as 45% are present in fungal biomass with balanced essential amino acids. The aim of this study was to access the potential of Trichoderma harzianum to produce fungal biomass protein from rice polishings. Maximum biomass yield was obtained at 5% (w/v) rice polishings after 72 h of incubation at 28°C at pH 4. Carbon and nitrogen ratio of 20 : 1 gave significantly higher production of fungal biomass protein. The FBP in the 75 L fermenter contained 49.50% crude protein, 32.00% true protein, 19.45% crude fiber, 9.62% ash, 11.5% cellulose content, and 0.325% RNA content. The profile of amino acids of final FBP exhibited that all essential amino acids were present in great quantities. The FBP produced by this fungus has been shown to be of good nutritional value for supplementation to poultry. The results presented in this study have practical implications in that the fungus T. harzianum could be used successfully to produce fungal biomass protein using rice polishings.

Nitrogen utilization and biomass yield in trickle bed air biofilters.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Daekeun; Sorial, George A

2010-10-15

Nitrogen utilization and subsequent biomass yield were investigated in four independent lab-scale trickle bed air biofilters (TBABs) fed with different VOCs substrate. The VOCs considered were two aromatic (toluene, styrene) and two oxygenated (methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)). Long-term observations of TBABs performances show that more nitrogen was required to sustain high VOC removal, but the one fed with a high loading of VOC utilized much more nitrogen for sustaining biomass yield. The ratio N(consumption)/N(growth) was an effective indicator in evaluating nitrogen utilization in the system. Substrate VOC availability in the system was significant in determining nitrogen utilization and biomass yield. VOC substrate availability in the TBAB system was effectively identified by using maximum practical concentrations in the biofilm. Biomass yield coefficient, which was driven from the regression analysis between CO(2) production rate and substrate consumption rate, was effective in evaluating the TBAB performance with respect to nitrogen utilization and VOC removal. Biomass yield coefficients (g biomass/g substrate, dry weight basis) were observed to be 0.668, 0.642, 0.737, and 0.939 for toluene, styrene, MEK, and MIBK, respectively. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heat storage in forest biomass significantly improves energy balance closure particularly during stable conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Lindroth, A.; Mölder, M.; Lagergren, F.

2009-08-01

Temperature measurements in trunks and branches in a mature ca. 100 years-old mixed pine and spruce forest in central Sweden were used to estimate the heat storage in the tree biomass. The estimated heat flux in the sample trees and data on biomass distributions were used to scale up to stand level biomass heat fluxes. The rate of change of sensible and latent heat storage in the air layer below the level of the flux measurements was estimated from air temperature and humidity profile measurements and soil heat flux was estimated from heat flux plates and soil temperature measurements. The fluxes of sensible and latent heat from the forest were measured with an eddy covariance system in a tower. The analysis was made for a two-month period in summer of 1995. The tree biomass heat flux was the largest of the estimated storage components and varied between 40 and -35 W m-2 on summer days with nice weather. Averaged over two months the diurnal maximum of total heat storage was 45 W m-2 and the minimum was -35 W m-2. The soil heat flux and the sensible heat storage in air were out of phase with the biomass flux and they reached maximum values that were about 75% of the maximum of the tree biomass heat storage. The energy balance closure improved significantly when the total heat storage was added to the turbulent fluxes. The slope of a regression line with sum of fluxes and storage as independent and net radiation as dependent variable, increased from 0.86 to 0.95 for half-hourly data and the scatter was also reduced. The most significant finding was, however, that during nights with strongly stable conditions when the sensible heat flux dropped to nearly zero, the total storage matched the net radiation nearly perfectly. Another interesting result was that the mean energy imbalance started to increase when the Richardson number became more negative than ca. -0.1. In fact, the largest energy deficit occurred at maximum instability. Our conclusion is that eddy

COMBUSTION OF BIOMASS AND CHARCOAL MADE FROM BABASSU NUTSHELL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thiago de Paula Protásio

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In recent years, studies have examined the use of lignocellulosic wastes for energy generation. However, there is a lack of information on the combustibility of the residual biomass, especially the bark and charcoal of babassu nut. In this study, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, differential thermal analysis (DTA and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC were used to achieve the following objectives: to evaluate the combustion of the residual biomass from the babassu nut; to evaluate the combustion of charcoal produced from this biomass, considering different final carbonization temperatures; and to determine the effect of the final carbonization temperature on the thermal stability of charcoal and on its performance in combustion. Thermal analyses were performed in synthetic air. In order to evaluate the characteristics of charcoal combustion and fresh biomass, the ignition temperature (Ti, the burnout temperature (Tf, characteristic combustion index (S, ignition index (Di, time corresponding to the maximum combustion rate (tp, and ignition time (tig were considered. The combustion of the babassu nutshell occurred in three phases and it was observed that this lignocellulosic material is suitable for the direct generation of heat. The increase in the final carbonization temperature caused an increase in the ignition temperature, as well as in the burnout temperature, the ignition time and the time corresponding to the maximum combustion rate. The results indicate that the increase in the carbonization temperature causes a decrease in combustion reactivity and, consequently, the charcoals produced at lower temperatures are easier to ignite and exhibit better performance in ignition.

Tongue worm (Pentastomida) infection in ball pythons (Python regius) – a case report

Science.gov (United States)

Gałęcki, Remigiusz; Sokół, Rajmund; Dudek, Agnieszka

Tongue worms (Pentastomida) are endoparasites causing pentastomiasis, an invasive disease representing a threat to exotic animals and humans. Animals acquire infection via the alimentary tract. In reptiles, the parasite is present in the lungs, resulting in symptoms from the respiratory system. Pentastomiasis may be asymptomatic, but nonspecific symptoms may occur at high parasite concentrations. Due to the harmful effects of many antiparasitic substances, tongue worm invasion in reptiles remains not fully treatable. Although pentasomiasis is rarely diagnosed in Poland, pentastomids were diagnosed in two ball pythons, who were patients of the “Poliklinika Weterynaryjna” veterinary clinic. They demonstrated problems with the respiratory system and a significant deterioration of health. Fenbendazole at a dose of 100 mg/kg b.w., repeated after 7 days was shown to be effective.

Effects of Doxycycline on gene expression in Wolbachia and Brugia malayi adult female worms in vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rao Ramakrishna U

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Most filarial nematodes contain Wolbachia symbionts. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of doxycycline on gene expression in Wolbachia and adult female Brugia malayi. Methods Brugia malayi infected gerbils were treated with doxycycline for 6-weeks. This treatment largely cleared Wolbachia and arrested worm reproduction. RNA recovered from treated and control female worms was labeled by random priming and hybridized to the Version 2- filarial microarray to obtain expression profiles. Results and discussion Results showed significant changes in expression for 200 Wolbachia (29% of Wolbachia genes with expression signals in untreated worms and 546 B. malayi array elements after treatment. These elements correspond to known genes and also to novel genes with unknown biological functions. Most differentially expressed Wolbachia genes were down-regulated after treatment (98.5%. In contrast, doxycycline had a mixed effect on B. malayi gene expression with many more genes being significantly up-regulated after treatment (85% of differentially expressed genes. Genes and processes involved in reproduction (gender-regulated genes, collagen, amino acid metabolism, ribosomal processes, and cytoskeleton were down-regulated after doxycycline while up-regulated genes and pathways suggest adaptations for survival in response to stress (energy metabolism, electron transport, anti-oxidants, nutrient transport, bacterial signaling pathways, and immune evasion. Conclusions Doxycycline reduced Wolbachia and significantly decreased bacterial gene expression. Wolbachia ribosomes are believed to be the primary biological target for doxycycline in filarial worms. B. malayi genes essential for reproduction, growth and development were also down-regulated; these changes are consistent with doxycycline effects on embryo development and reproduction. On the other hand, many B. malayi genes involved in energy production, electron

Dual uses of microalgal biomass: An integrative approach for biohydrogen and biodiesel production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dasgupta, Chitralekha Nag; Suseela, M.R.; Mandotra, S.K.; Kumar, Pankaj; Pandey, Manish K.; Toppo, Kiran; Lone, J.A.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Chlorella sp. NBRI029 and Scenedesmus sp. NBRI012 shows high biomass productivity. • Scenedesmus sp. NBRI012 shows maximum H 2 evolution in 6th day of fermentation. • Residual biomass after H 2 production contains high lipid content. • Lipid extracted from the residual biomass fulfills various biodiesel properties. - Abstract: Dual application of biomass for biohydrogen and biodiesel production could be considered a feasible option for economic and sustainable energy production from microalgae. In this study, after a large screening of fresh water microalgal isolates, Scenedesmus sp. NBRI012 and Chlorella sp. NBRI029 have exhibited high biomass (1.31 ± 0.11 and 2.62 ± 0.13 g/L respectively) and lipid (244.44 ± 12.3 and 587.38 ± 20.2 mg/L respectively) yield with an organic carbon (acetate) source. Scenedesmus sp. NBRI012 has shown the highest H 2 (maximum evolution of 17.72% v/v H 2 of total gases) production; it produced H 2 continuously for seven days in sulfur-deprived TAP media. Sulfur deprivation during the H 2 production was found to increase the lipid content (410.03 ± 18.5 mg/L) of the residual biomass. Fatty acid profile of the lipid extracted from the residual biomass of Scenedesmus sp. NBRI012 has showed abundance of fatty acids with a carbon chain length of C16 and C18. Cetane number, iodine value, and saponification value of biodiesel were found suitable according to the range given by the Indian standard (IS 15607), Brazilian National Petroleum Agency (ANP255) and the European biodiesel standard EN14214

Monitoring to assess progress toward meeting the Assabet River, Massachusetts, phosphorus total maximum daily load - Aquatic macrophyte biomass and sediment-phosphorus flux

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerman, Marc J.; Qian, Yu; Yong Q., Tian

2011-01-01

In 2004, the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Total Phosphorus in the Assabet River, Massachusetts, was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The goal of the TMDL was to decrease the concentrations of the nutrient phosphorus to mitigate some of the instream ecological effects of eutrophication on the river; these effects were, for the most part, direct consequences of the excessive growth of aquatic macrophytes. The primary instrument effecting lower concentrations of phosphorus was to be strict control of phosphorus releases from four major wastewatertreatment plants in Westborough, Marlborough, Hudson, and Maynard, Massachusetts. The improvements to be achieved from implementing this control were lower concentrations of total and dissolved phosphorus in the river, a 50-percent reduction in aquatic-plant biomass, a 30-percent reduction in episodes of dissolved oxygen supersaturation, no low-flow dissolved oxygen concentrations less than 5.0 milligrams per liter, and a 90-percent reduction in sediment releases of phosphorus to the overlying water. In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, initiated studies to evaluate conditions in the Assabet River prior to the upgrading of wastewater-treatment plants to remove more phosphorus from their effluents. The studies, completed in 2008, implemented a visual monitoring plan to evaluate the extent and biomass of the floating macrophyte Lemna minor (commonly known as lesser duckweed) in five impoundments and evaluated the potential for phosphorus flux from sediments in impounded and free-flowing reaches of the river. Hydrologically, the two study years 2007 and 2008 were quite different. In 2007, summer streamflows, although low, were higher than average, and in 2008, the flows were generally higher than in 2007. Visually, the effects of these streamflow differences on the distribution of Lemna were obvious. In 2007, large amounts of

Influence of Parasitic Worm Infections on Allergy Diagnosis in Sub-Saharan Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amoah, Abena S.; Boakye, Daniel A.; Yazdanbakhsh, Maria; van Ree, Ronald

2017-01-01

Epidemiological studies from Sub-Saharan Africa indicate that allergies are on the rise in this region especially in urban compared to rural areas. This increase has been linked to improved hygiene, lifestyle changes, and lower exposure to pathogens in childhood. Reduced exposure to parasitic worm

Unravelling the protein preference of aquatic worms during waste activated sludge degradation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Valk, S.L.; Khadem, A.F.; van Lier, J.B.; de Kreuk, M.K.

2017-01-01

Worm predation (WP) by Tubifex tubifex was investigated using waste activated sludge (WAS) as the substrate. In order to better understand the sludge degradation mechanisms during WP, the activity of five common hydrolytic enzymes was determined and compared among the initial feed activated

Glycogen metabolism in Schistosoma mansoni worms after their isolation from the host

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tiolens, A.G.M.; Bergh, S.G. van den

Adult Schistosoma mansoni worms rapidly degrade their endogenous glycogen stores immediately after isolation from the host. In NCTC 109 or in a diphasic culture medium the glycogen levels slowly recovered again after the initial decrease. The rapid degradation of glycogen could be prevented, even in

Baseline study of effects of ionizing radiation on the chromosomes of the marine worm, 'Neanthes arenaceodentata'. Technical note

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pesch, G.G.; Young, J.S.

1981-09-01

Between 1946 and 1970 the United States disposed of low level radioactive waste at several sites in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. In 1972 the Environmental Protection Agency was authorized under the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act (PL-92-532) to regulate all ocean disposal activities. This Act requires EPA to establish a program for reviewing and evaluating ocean dumping permit applications. Before EPA can approve permits for ocean dumping of radioactive waste, it will be necessary to determine how such wastes may affect marine biota. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of using a marine coastal worm, Neanthes arenaceodentata, as a cytogenetic model for assessing radiation damage to ocean organisms. Groups of worms were exposed to cobalt-60, then slide preparations were made and scored for gross chromosome aberrations and damage. All the levels of ionizing radiation tested from 180-680 rads were found to cause significant chromosome damage in N. arenaceodentata. The nature of this damage depended on dose, dose-rate and DNA repair capability of the worm. Worms responded to the same dose range as do mice. Since mice are accepted models for studying radiation effects on humans, this study supports the utility of using this species to study radiation effects on marine organisms

A rabbit eye model for in vivo transformation of progenetic metacercariae of Clinostomum complanatum into ovigerous adult worms.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizvi, A; Zaidi, Z A; Alam, M M; Zafar, A; Shareef, P A A; Saifullah, M K; Saleemuddin, M; Abidi, S M A

2014-03-01

Clinostomum complanatum is a digenetic trematode that causes yellow grub disease in some fish species and also shows zoonotic potential by sporadically infecting humans. In this study, progenetic metacercariae of C. complanatum were obtained from the fish Trichogaster fasciatus, and were aseptically placed in conjunctival incisions made in the superior and inferior fornices of the eye of rabbits, which served as the experimental hosts. Worms were harvested without necropsy of the host on days 4 and 8 post infection, to observe in vivo transformation of the progenetic metacercariae into ovigerous adult worms. The worms appeared to cause minimal damage to the host although they were tenaciously attached. In vivo maturation was evident by the development of the vitellaria, enlargement of gonads, the presence of a large number of shelled eggs in a distended uterus and ramifications of the intestinal caeca. Obtaining mature ovigerous worms without sacrificing the host clearly gives the rabbit eye model an advantage over those described previously. Due to the relative advantage of the short time required for maturation and the prolific egg production by C. complanatum, it is suggested that this host-parasite system could be used as an excellent model for classroom teaching of trematode biology and to investigate the cues involved in in vivo transformation and host-parasite interactions.

Biomass production of multipopulation microalgae in open air pond for biofuel potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Selvakumar, P; Umadevi, K

2016-04-01

Biodiesel gains attention as it is made from renewable resources and has considerable environmental benefits. The present investigation has focused on large scale cultivation of multipopulation microalgae in open air pond using natural sea water without any additional nutritive supplements for low cost biomass production as a possible source of biofuel in large scale. Open air algal pond attained average chlorophyll concentration of 11.01 µg/L with the maximum of 43.65 µg/L as well as a higher lipid concentration of 18% (w/w) with lipid content 9.3 mg/L on the 10th day of the culture; and maximum biomass of 0.36 g/L on the 7th day of the culture. Composition analysis of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) was performed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GCMS). Multipopulation of algal biomass had 18% of total lipid content with 55% of total saturated fatty acids (SFA), 35.3% of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and 9.7% of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), revealing a potential source of biofuel production at low cost.

Packet Payload Monitoring for Internet Worm Content Detection Using Deterministic Finite Automaton with Delayed Dictionary Compression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Divya Selvaraj

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Packet content scanning is one of the crucial threats to network security and network monitoring applications. In monitoring applications, payload of packets in a network is matched against the set of patterns in order to detect attacks like worms, viruses, and protocol definitions. During network transfer, incoming and outgoing packets are monitored in depth to inspect the packet payload. In this paper, the regular expressions that are basically string patterns are analyzed for packet payloads in detecting worms. Then the grouping scheme for regular expression matching is rewritten using Deterministic Finite Automaton (DFA. DFA achieves better processing speed during regular expression matching. DFA requires more memory space for each state. In order to reduce memory utilization, decompression technique is used. Delayed Dictionary Compression (DDC is applied for achieving better speeds in the communication links. DDC achieves decoding latency during compression of payload packets in the network. Experimental results show that the proposed approach provides better time consumption and memory utilization during detection of Internet worm attacks.

Biogeographical patterns of biomass allocation in leaves, stems, and roots in China’s forests

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hao; Wang, Kelin; Xu, Xianli; Song, Tongqing; Xu, Yanfang; Zeng, Fuping

2015-01-01

To test whether there are general patterns in biomass partitioning in relation to environmental variation when stand biomass is considered, we investigated biomass allocation in leaves, stems, and roots in China’s forests using both the national forest inventory data (2004–2008) and our field measurements (2011–2012). Distribution patterns of leaf, stem, and root biomass showed significantly different trends according to latitude, longitude, and altitude, and were positively and significantly correlated with stand age and mean annual precipitation. Trade-offs among leaves, stems, and roots varied with forest type and origin and were mainly explained by stand biomass. Based on the constraints of stand biomass, biomass allocation was also influenced by forest type, origin, stand age, stand density, mean annual temperature, precipitation, and maximum temperature in the growing season. Therefore, after stand biomass was accounted for, the residual variation in biomass allocation could be partially explained by stand characteristics and environmental factors, which may aid in quantifying carbon cycling in forest ecosystems and assessing the impacts of climate change on forest carbon dynamics in China. PMID:26525117

Opsins in onychophora (velvet worms) suggest a single origin and subsequent diversification of visual pigments in arthropods.

Science.gov (United States)

Hering, Lars; Henze, Miriam J; Kohler, Martin; Kelber, Almut; Bleidorn, Christoph; Leschke, Maren; Nickel, Birgit; Meyer, Matthias; Kircher, Martin; Sunnucks, Paul; Mayer, Georg

2012-11-01

Multiple visual pigments, prerequisites for color vision, are found in arthropods, but the evolutionary origin of their diversity remains obscure. In this study, we explore the opsin genes in five distantly related species of Onychophora, using deep transcriptome sequencing and screening approaches. Surprisingly, our data reveal the presence of only one opsin gene (onychopsin) in each onychophoran species, and our behavioral experiments indicate a maximum sensitivity of onychopsin to blue-green light. In our phylogenetic analyses, the onychopsins represent the sister group to the monophyletic clade of visual r-opsins of arthropods. These results concur with phylogenomic support for the sister-group status of the Onychophora and Arthropoda and provide evidence for monochromatic vision in velvet worms and in the last common ancestor of Onychophora and Arthropoda. We conclude that the diversification of visual pigments and color vision evolved in arthropods, along with the evolution of compound eyes-one of the most sophisticated visual systems known.

Parasitic worms: how many really?

Science.gov (United States)

Strona, Giovanni; Fattorini, Simone

2014-04-01

Accumulation curves are useful tools to estimate species diversity. Here we argue that they can also be used in the study of global parasite species richness. Although this basic idea is not completely new, our approach differs from the previous ones as it treats each host species as an independent sample. We show that randomly resampling host-parasite records from the existing databases makes it possible to empirically model the relationship between the number of investigated host species, and the corresponding number of parasite species retrieved from those hosts. This method was tested on 21 inclusive lists of parasitic worms occurring on vertebrate hosts. All of the obtained models conform well to a power law curve. These curves were then used to estimate global parasite species richness. Results obtained with the new method suggest that current predictions are likely to severely overestimate parasite diversity. Copyright © 2014 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of hierarchical worm-like SnO2@C aggregates and their enhanced lithium storage properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Zhen-Guo; Li, Jun-Tao; Zhong, Yan-Jun; Liu, Jie; Guo, Xiao-Dong; Huang, Ling; Zhong, Ben-He; Sun, Shi-Gang

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The hierarchical worm-like SnO 2 @C aggregates were synthesized. • The hierarchical worm-like SnO 2 @C unit is assembled by nanowires. • The cycling performances of SnO 2 @C aggregates are improved. • A capacity of 477.0 mA h g −1 at 400 mA g −1 could be obtained after 60 cycles. - Abstract: The present paper reports a synthetic strategy of hierarchical worm-like SnO 2 @C aggregates with enhanced electrochemical performances. Specifically, a glucose-assisted hydrothermal treatment of the intermediate Co–Sn alloy nanoparticles, which were formed by carbothermal reduction of mixed commercial SnO 2 and Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles. The SnO 2 @C sample exhibits enhanced cycling performance in comparison with raw commercial SnO 2 nanoparticles and intermediate Co–Sn alloy nanoparticles when used as anode of lithium ion battery. A stable capacity of 533.6 mA h g −1 at 100 mA g −1 and 477.0 mA h g −1 at 400 mA g −1 remains after 60 cycles. When the current density increases to 1600 mA g −1 , the SnO 2 @C sample still deliver a high capacity of 384.2 mA h g −1 . The superior electrochemical performances could be attributed to the synergistic effect of unique worm-like aggregates structure and carbon surface-layer, which facilitate the electron transportation and buffer the large volume change

Chemical Composition and Nutrient Digestibility of Super Worm Meal in Red Tilapia Juvenile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. D. Abd Rahman Jabir*, S. A. Razak and S. Vikineswary

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The chemical composition and nutrient digestibility of super worm (Zophobas morio meal were determined for fish feed formulations. Experiments were conducted to compare super worm meal (SWM with fish meal (FM as main protein sources for fish diets. Super worm had lower protein content (42.83% compared to fish meal (52.64%. SWM contained high percentage (40.01% of lipids along with quality protein and this made it a suitable replacement for FM. SWM contained seventeen amino acids including the essential amino acids. All eight essential amino acids present were similar in values except for methionine which showed a large difference with 5.75 (mg/g crude protein and 21.17 (mg/g crude protein for SWM and FM respectively. SWM contained higher percentage of arginine and glutamic acid while the rest of the essential amino acids were lower than those present in FM. The fatty acid profile of SWM also showed a good polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio (0.87. Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC of protein in SWM diet was lowest (50.53±6.08% and significantly different (P<0.05 from that of FM diet (77.48±0.53%. Lipid digestibility of SWM based diet was significantly lower (69.76±3.72% than that of FM value (91.51±0.21%. However, SWM-based diets fulfilled the requirements of fish recommended by FAO.

Phytoplankton reduction in near-bottom water caused by filter-feeding Nereis diversicolor - Implications for worm growth and population grazing impact

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Poul Scheel; Riisgård, H. U.; Poulsen, L.

1996-01-01

reduced specific growth rate of worms at the sea floor (0.2 ± 1.1% d-1), compared to worms elevated just 10 cm above the sediment surface (2.5 ± 0.8% d-1), indicates that extremely meagre food conditions may be prevailing at the bottom. Experimental laboratory data on the development of vertical algal...

Growth of sugarcane under high input conditions in tropical Australia. 1. Radiation use, biomass accumulation and partitioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, M.J.; Wood, A.W.; Muchow, R.C.

1996-01-01

There is little detailed information on yield accumulation in sugarcane under high-input conditions, which can be used to quantify the key physiological parameters contributing to yield variation. Sugarcane is grown under plant and ratoon crop conditions. This study analysed canopy development, radiation interception and biomass accumulation of two contrasting cultivars of sugarcane under irrigation during the same season under plant and ratoon crop conditions. Over the 15 month season, 11 crop samplings were conducted. Biomass partitioning to stalk was also measured to determine to what extent differences in partitioning between cultivars under ratoon and plant crop conditions contribute to differential productivity. The key findings were: (1) The ratoon crop accumulated biomass more quickly than the plant crop during the first 100 days of growth due to higher stalk number, faster canopy development and greater radiation interception. For similar reasons, cultivar Q138 had higher early biomass production than cultivar Q117 in the plant crop, (2) Early differences in biomass accumulation due to crop class became negligible at about 220 days because maximum RUE of the plant crop (1.72 +/- 0.01 g MJ -1 ) was 8% higher than in the first ratoon crop (1.59 +/- 0.08 g MJ -1 ). The higher maximum RUE in the plant crop was consistent with a higher crop growth rate (35.1 +/- 2.3 versus 31.0 +/- 3.4 g m -2 d -1 ) during the Linear phase of biomass accumulation. (3) Biomass accumulation, which ceased about 300 days after planting/ratooning and 140 days before final harvest, attained similar levels of 53-58 t ha -1 in all four crops. (4) The plateau in biomass was associated with loss of live millable stalks, and not a cessation in the growth rate of individual stalks. The crops continued to intercept radiation while on the biomass plateau, so that average RUEs at final harvest were much lower than the maximum values. (5) There was no effect of crop class or cultivar on the

Urban pollution of sediments: Impact on the physiology and burrowing activity of tubificid worms and consequences on biogeochemical processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pigneret, M., E-mail: mathilde.pigneret@univ-lyon1.fr [LEHNA, UMR CNRS 5023, Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, ENTPE, 6 rue Raphael Dubois, 69622 Villeurbanne (France); Mermillod-Blondin, F.; Volatier, L.; Romestaing, C. [LEHNA, UMR CNRS 5023, Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, ENTPE, 6 rue Raphael Dubois, 69622 Villeurbanne (France); Maire, E.; Adrien, J. [MATEIS, UMR CNRS 5510, INSA de Lyon, 25 avenue Jean Capelle, 69621 Villeurbanne (France); Guillard, L.; Roussel, D.; Hervant, F. [LEHNA, UMR CNRS 5023, Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, ENTPE, 6 rue Raphael Dubois, 69622 Villeurbanne (France)

2016-10-15

In urban areas, infiltration basins are designed to manage stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces and allow the settling of associated pollutants. The sedimentary layer deposited at the surface of these structures is highly organic and multicontaminated (mainly heavy metals and hydrocarbons). Only few aquatic species are able to maintain permanent populations in such an extreme environment, including the oligochaete Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri. Nevertheless, the impact of urban pollutants on these organisms and the resulting influence on infiltration basin functioning remain poorly studied. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine how polluted sediments could impact the survival, the physiology and the bioturbation activity of L. hoffmeisteri and thereby modify biogeochemical processes occurring at the water-sediment interface. To this end, we conducted laboratory incubations of worms, in polluted sediments from infiltration basins or slightly polluted sediments from a stream. Analyses were performed to evaluate physiological state and burrowing activity (X-ray micro-tomography) of worms and their influences on biogeochemical processes (nutrient fluxes, CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} degassing rates) during 30-day long experiments. Our results showed that worms exhibited physiological responses to cope with high pollution levels, including a strong ability to withstand the oxidative stress linked to contamination with heavy metals. We also showed that the presence of urban pollutants significantly increased the burrowing activity of L. hoffmeisteri, demonstrating the sensitivity and the relevance of such a behavioural response as biomarker of sediment toxicity. In addition, we showed that X-ray micro-tomography was an adequate technique for accurate and non-invasive three-dimensional investigations of biogenic structures formed by bioturbators. The presence of worms induced stimulations of nutrient fluxes and organic matter recycling (between + 100% and 200% of CO

Study on the effect of gamma-radiation on the development of silk worm (Bombyx mori L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grekov, D.

1995-01-01

These investigations are of special interest to the breeding practice considering the lack of profound research activity. The main purpose was to find out possibilities of using gamma-rays as a mutagenic factor in sericulture. The results obtained show that the irradiation of silk worm eggs at b 2 stage of embryo development with 5 Gy stimulates the biological development. The irradiation doses of 10-25 Gy inhibit mulberry silk worm development. The different species react in different way. Probably mutation forms are to be sought within 10-25 Gy doses. 10 refs., 3 tabs. (author)

Location Optimization for Biomass Trigeneration System with Pit Thermal Energy Storage: the Case of the City of Petrinja

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ćosić, B.; Dominkovic, Dominik Franjo; Ban, M.

2015-01-01

The combined production of electricity, heat and cold in biomass trigeneration power plants integrated with seasonal pit thermal energy storage ensures maximum utilization of biomass resources and at the same time reduction of variable operation costs of the system. Beside optimal size of trigene...

Earthworms (Amynthas spp. increase common bean growth, microbial biomass, and soil respiration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julierme Zimmer Barbosa

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Few studies have evaluated the effect of earthworms on plants and biological soil attributes, especially among legumes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of earthworms (Amynthas spp. on growth in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. and on soil biological attributes. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a completely randomized design with five treatments and eight repetitions. The treatments consisted of inoculation with five different quantities of earthworms of the genus Amynthas (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 worms per pot. Each experimental unit consisted of a plastic pot containing 4 kg of soil and two common bean plants. The experiment was harvested 38 days after seedling emergence. Dry matter and plant height, soil respiration, microbial respiration, microbial biomass, and metabolic quotient were determined. Earthworm recovery in our study was high in number and mass, with all values above 91.6% and 89.1%, respectively. In addition, earthworm fresh biomass decreased only in the treatment that included eight earthworms per pot. The presence of earthworms increased the plant growth and improved soil biological properties, suggesting that agricultural practices that favor the presence of these organisms can be used to increase the production of common bean, and the increased soil CO2 emission caused by the earthworms can be partially offset by the addition of common bean crop residues to the soil.

Emissions tradeoffs associated with cofiring forest biomass with coal: A case study in Colorado, USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loeffler, Dan; Anderson, Nathaniel

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Case study using audited fuel consumption and emissions data from a coal mine and power plant. • Model emissions tradeoffs of cofiring forest biomass with coal up to 20% by heat input value. • Substituting forest biomass with coal displaces fossil energy with an otherwise waste material. • Substantially less system emissions overall are generated when cofiring forest biomass. • Cofiring forest biomass has positive global and local greenhouse gas and human health implications. - Abstract: Cofiring forest biomass residues with coal to generate electricity is often cited for its potential to offset fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the extent to which cofiring achieves these objectives is highly dependent on case specific variables. This paper uses facility and forest specific data to examine emissions from cofiring forest biomass with coal ranging up to 20% substitution by heat value in southwest Colorado, USA. Calculations for net system emissions include five emissions sources: coal mining, power plant processes, forest biomass processes, boiler emissions, and forest biomass disposal. At the maximum displacement of 20% of heat demand using 120,717 t of forest biomass per year, total system emissions are projected to decrease by 15% for CO 2 , 95% for CH 4 , 18% for NO X , 82% for PM 10 , and 27% for SO X . PM 10 and CH 4 emissions benefits are closely tied to reducing open burning for residue disposal. At maximum displacement, 189,240 t of CO 2 emissions equivalent to the annual CO 2 emissions from 36,200 passenger vehicles, 440,000 barrels of oil, or nearly 990 railcars of coal are avoided. When forest biomass is not cofired, emissions equivalent to144,200 t of CO 2 are emitted from open burning. In addition to exploring the details of this case, we provide a methodology for assessing the emissions tradeoffs related to using forest biomass for cogeneration that incorporates the operational aspects of managing forest

Leaf Dynamics of Panicum maximum under Future Climatic Changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Britto de Assis Prado, Carlos Henrique; Haik Guedes de Camargo-Bortolin, Lívia; Castro, Érique; Martinez, Carlos Alberto

2016-01-01

Panicum maximum Jacq. 'Mombaça' (C4) was grown in field conditions with sufficient water and nutrients to examine the effects of warming and elevated CO2 concentrations during the winter. Plants were exposed to either the ambient temperature and regular atmospheric CO2 (Control); elevated CO2 (600 ppm, eC); canopy warming (+2°C above regular canopy temperature, eT); or elevated CO2 and canopy warming (eC+eT). The temperatures and CO2 in the field were controlled by temperature free-air controlled enhancement (T-FACE) and mini free-air CO2 enrichment (miniFACE) facilities. The most green, expanding, and expanded leaves and the highest leaf appearance rate (LAR, leaves day(-1)) and leaf elongation rate (LER, cm day(-1)) were observed under eT. Leaf area and leaf biomass were higher in the eT and eC+eT treatments. The higher LER and LAR without significant differences in the number of senescent leaves could explain why tillers had higher foliage area and leaf biomass in the eT treatment. The eC treatment had the lowest LER and the fewest expanded and green leaves, similar to Control. The inhibitory effect of eC on foliage development in winter was indicated by the fewer green, expanded, and expanding leaves under eC+eT than eT. The stimulatory and inhibitory effects of the eT and eC treatments, respectively, on foliage raised and lowered, respectively, the foliar nitrogen concentration. The inhibition of foliage by eC was confirmed by the eC treatment having the lowest leaf/stem biomass ratio and by the change in leaf biomass-area relationships from linear or exponential growth to rectangular hyperbolic growth under eC. Besides, eC+eT had a synergist effect, speeding up leaf maturation. Therefore, with sufficient water and nutrients in winter, the inhibitory effect of elevated CO2 on foliage could be partially offset by elevated temperatures and relatively high P. maximum foliage production could be achieved under future climatic change.

Handling and feeding of biomass to pressurized reactors: safety engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilen, Carl; Rautalin, Aimo (Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus, Espoo (Finland). Lab. of Fuel and Process Technology)

1993-01-01

There are rather few literature references to or experience of the feed of biomass into a pressurized space. Alternatives given in the literature usually concern handling and feeding technology for coal. Some screw- or piston-operated plug feeders and coal and concrete pump equipment have, however, also been tested with biomasses. Explosion characteristics of fuels and their susceptibility to spontaneous ignition have been studied at both atmospheric and elevated pressures. The maximum explosion pressure and maximum rate of pressure rise, being critical factors in the process design and in the choice of safety equipment, have been determined under these conditions. In pressurized processes, the maintenance of sufficient inertization in fuel-feed systems is an especially critical factor. Peat, bark, and forest residues were used as biofuels, and lignite was used as reference fuel. The results obtained with a dynamic method for spontaneous ignition were compared with experience obtained from the operation of a commercial pressurized peat gasifier of 140 MW. (author)

Characterization of biomasses available in the region of North-East India for production of biofuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasmal, Soumya; Goud, Vaibhav V.; Mohanty, Kaustubha

2012-01-01

The lignocellulosic materials are cheap and readily available either in the form of agricultural waste or forest residues. These materials can be used as a source for energy production either in the gaseous form (CO, H 2 etc) or in liquid form (ethanol, butanol etc) to meet the rising demand of energy. The reign of lignocellulosic materials for energy production is a proven fact in this era of energy research. The present study focuses on characterization of three biomass samples namely areca nut husk (Areca catheu), moj (Albizia lucida) and bonbogori (Ziziphus rugosa), available in the region of North-East India. Physical and chemical analysis of these lignocellulosic biomass samples were performed using X-ray diffraction techniques, thermogravimetric analysis, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy and CHNSO analysis. Maximum crystalinity was observed in areca nut husk fiber (63.84%) followed by moj (46.43%) and bonbogori (42.46%). The calorific values of all the biomasses were found within the range of 17 MJ/kg to 22 MJ/kg. All these properties combined together per se shows that areca nut husk, bonbogori and moj are potential sources for biofuel production. -- Highlights: ► Non-conventional biomasses were considered in this study. ► Complete characterization of these biomasses are reported. ► Maximum crystalinity was observed in areca nut husk fiber followed by moj and bonbogori. ► Results confirmed that these biomasses can be utilized for biofuel production.

A Review on Biomass Torrefaction Process and Product Properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaya Shankar Tumuluru; Shahab Sokhansanj; Christopher T. Wright; J. Richard Hess; Richard D. Boardman

2011-08-01

Biomass Torrefaction is gaining attention as an important preprocessing step to improve the quality of biomass in terms of physical properties and chemical composition. Torrefaction is a slow heating of biomass in an inert or reduced environment to a maximum temperature of approximately 300 C. Torrefaction can also be defined as a group of products resulting from the partially controlled and isothermal pyrolysis of biomass occurring in a temperature range of 200-280 C. Thus, the process can be called a mild pyrolysis as it occurs at the lower temperature range of the pyrolysis process. At the end of the torrefaction process, a solid uniform product with lower moisture content and higher energy content than raw biomass is produced. Most of the smoke-producing compounds and other volatiles are removed during torrefaction, which produces a final product that will have a lower mass but a higher heating value. The present review work looks into (a) torrefaction process and different products produced during the process and (b) solid torrefied material properties which include: (i) physical properties like moisture content, density, grindability, particle size distribution and particle surface area and pelletability; (ii) chemical properties like proximate and ultimate composition; and (iii) storage properties like off-gassing and spontaneous combustion.

Combustion of biomass-derived, low caloric value, fuel gas in a gasturbine combustor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andries, J; Hoppesteyn, P D.J.; Hein, K R.G. [Technische Univ. Delf (Netherlands)

1998-09-01

The use of biomass and biomass/coal mixtures to produce electricity and heat reduces the net emissions of CO{sub 2}, contributes to the restructuring of the agricultural sector, helps to reduce the waste problem and saves finite fossil fuel reserves. Pressurised fluidised bed gasification followed by an adequate gas cleaning system, a gas turbine and a steam turbine, is a potential attractive way to convert biomass and biomass/coal mixtures. To develop and validate mathematical models, which can be used to design and operate Biomass-fired Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (BIGCC) systems, a Process Development Unit (PPDU) with a maximum thermal capacity of 1.5 MW{sub th}, located at the Laboratory for Thermal Power Engineering of the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands is being used. The combustor forms an integral part of this facility. Recirculated flue gas is used to cool the wall of the combustor. (orig.)

Serial CT Findings of Paragonimus Infested Dogs and the Micro-CT Findings of the Worm Cysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chang Hyun; Im, Jung Gi; Goo, Jin Mo; Lee, Hyun Ju; Hong, Sung Tae; Shen, Cheng Hua; Chung, Doo Hyun; Son, Kyu Ri; Chang, Jung Min; Eo, Hong

2007-01-01

To investigate the serial CT findings of Paragonimus westermani infected dogs and the microscopic structures of the worm cysts using Micro-CT. This study was approved by the committee on animal research at our institution. Fifteen dogs infected with P. westermani underwent serial contrast-enhanced CT scans at pre-infection, after 10 days of infection, and monthly thereafter until six months for determining the radiologic-pathologic correlation. Three dogs (one dog each time) were sacrificed at 1, 3 and 6 months, respectively. After fixation of the lungs, both multi-detector CT and Micro-CT were performed for examining the worm cysts. The initial findings were pleural effusion and/or subpleural groundglass opacities or linear opacities at day 10. At day 30, subpleural and peribronchial nodules appeared with hydropneumothorax and abdominal or chest wall air bubbles. Cavitary change and bronchial dilatation began to be seen on CT scan at day 30 and this was mostly seen together with mediastinal lymphadenopathy at day 60. Thereafter, subpleural ground-glass opacities and nodules with or without cavitary changes were persistently observed until day 180. After cavitary change of the nodules, the migratory features of the subpleural or peribronchial nodules were seen on all the serial CT scans. Micro-CT showed that the cyst wall contained dilated interconnected tubular structures, which had communications with the cavity and the adjacent distal bronchus. The CT findings of paragonimiasis depend on the migratory stage of the worms. The worm cyst can have numerous interconnected tubular channels within its own wall and these channels have connections with the cavity and the adjacent distal bronchus

Breeding Energy Cane Cultivars as a Biomass Feedstock for Coal Replacement

Science.gov (United States)

Research and advanced breeding have demonstrated that energy cane possesses all of the attributes desirable in a biofuel feedstock: extremely good biomass yield in a small farming footprint; negative/neutral carbon footprint; maximum outputs from minimum inputs; well-established growing model for fa...

ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF CO2 SEQUESTRATION TECHNOLOGIES TASK 4, BIOMASS GASIFICATION-BASED PROCESSING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martha L. Rollins; Les Reardon; David Nichols; Patrick Lee; Millicent Moore; Mike Crim; Robert Luttrell; Evan Hughes

2002-04-01

Biomass derived energy currently accounts for about 3 quads of total primary energy use in the United States. Of this amount, about 0.8 quads are used for power generation. Several biomass energy production technologies exist today which contribute to this energy mix. Biomass combustion technologies have been the dominant source of biomass energy production, both historically and during the past two decades of expansion of modern biomass energy in the U. S. and Europe. As a research and development activity, biomass gasification has usually been the major emphasis as a method of more efficiently utilizing the energy potential of biomass, particularly wood. Numerous biomass gasification technologies exist today in various stages of development. Some are simple systems, while others employ a high degree of integration for maximum energy utilization. The purpose of this study is to conduct a technical and economic comparison of up to three biomass gasification technologies, including the carbon dioxide emissions reduction potential of each. To accomplish this, a literature search was first conducted to determine which technologies were most promising based on a specific set of criteria. During this reporting period, the technical and economic performances of the selected processes were evaluated using computer models and available literature. The results of these evaluations are summarized in this report.

Simulation of the maximum yield of sugar cane at different altitudes: effect of temperature on the conversion of radiation into biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martine, J.F.; Siband, P.; Bonhomme, R.

1999-01-01

To minimize the production costs of sugar cane, for the diverse sites of production found in La Réunion, an improved understanding of the influence of temperature on the dry matter radiation quotient is required. Existing models simulate poorly the temperature-radiation interaction. A model of sugar cane growth has been fitted to the results from two contrasting sites (mean temperatures: 14-30 °C; total radiation: 10-25 MJ·m -2 ·d -1 ), on a ratoon crop of cv R570, under conditions of non-limiting resources. Radiation interception, aerial biomass, the fraction of millable stems, and their moisture content, were measured. The time-courses of the efficiency of radiation interception differed between sites. As a function of the sum of day-degrees, they were similar. The dry matter radiation quotient was related to temperature. The moisture content of millable stems depended on the day-degree sum. On the other hand, the leaf/stem ratio was independent of temperature. The relationships established enabled the construction of a simple model of yield potential. Applied to a set of sites representing the sugar cane growing area of La Réunion, it gave a good prediction of maximum yields. (author) [fr

Potential of commodity chemicals to become bio-based according to maximum yields and petrochemical prices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Straathof, Adrie J.J.; Bampouli, A.

2017-01-01

Carbohydrates are the prevailing biomass components available for bio-based production. The most direct way to convert carbohydrates into commodity chemicals is by one-step conversion at maximum theoretical yield, such as by anaerobic fermentation without side product formation. Considering these

[Parasitologic significance of the alteration of the causative Anisakidae worm and of the Pseudoterranova decipiens female immature adult worm, casting off the cuticles, and excreted from human in Kanazawa City].

Science.gov (United States)

Ishikura, H; Kikuchi, K; Akao, N; Doutei, M; Yagi, K; Takahashi, S; Sato, N

1995-09-01

We have been studying Anisakidae larvae, their intermediate hosts and their final hosts in the northern Japan Sea area. These larvae cause anisakidosis. According to the investigation, the recent burst of pseudoterranovosis in this area can be attributed to the increased presence of sea lions, which proliferate in the Arctic region, then migrate to the northern Japan Sea and eat the intermediate host fish. In a stomach of a male sea lion that was captured in February 1995, we found more than 4,500 Pseudoterranova decipiens. Although there is no known circumstance in which a human would consume an adult worm of Anisakis nematode, an astonishing case of this was found in Kanazawa; a female young adult Pseudoterranova decipiens undergoing the final metamorphosis was emitted from a patient. This indicates that the Anisakis larva can mature into the adult worm in humans. It is postulated that the Pseudoterranova decipiens larva is in the process of adapting to use humans as the final host.

Fast microwave assisted pyrolysis of biomass using microwave absorbent.

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Fernanda Cabral; Du, Zhenyi; Xie, Qinglong; Trierweiler, Jorge Otávio; Cheng, Yanling; Wan, Yiqin; Liu, Yuhuan; Zhu, Rongbi; Lin, Xiangyang; Chen, Paul; Ruan, Roger

2014-03-01

A novel concept of fast microwave assisted pyrolysis (fMAP) in the presence of microwave absorbents was presented and examined. Wood sawdust and corn stover were pyrolyzed by means of microwave heating and silicon carbide (SiC) as microwave absorbent. The bio-oil was characterized, and the effects of temperature, feedstock loading, particle sizes, and vacuum degree were analyzed. For wood sawdust, a temperature of 480°C, 50 grit SiC, with 2g/min of biomass feeding, were the optimal conditions, with a maximum bio-oil yield of 65 wt.%. For corn stover, temperatures ranging from 490°C to 560°C, biomass particle sizes from 0.9mm to 1.9mm, and vacuum degree lower than 100mmHg obtained a maximum bio-oil yield of 64 wt.%. This study shows that the use of microwave absorbents for fMAP is feasible and a promising technology to improve the practical values and commercial application outlook of microwave based pyrolysis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mass rearing the Old World screw-worm fly, Chrysomya bezziana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahon, R.J.; Hamdan bin Ahmad

2000-01-01

Many countries within the tropics are afflicted with one of two species of screw-worm, either the New World screw-worm fly Cochliomyia hominivorax Coquerel (NWSWF), or the Old World screw-worm fly, Chrysomya bezziana Villenuve (OWSWF). In nature, larvae of both species are obligate parasites and feed on the living flesh of mammals and to a lesser extent, birds. Female flies lay eggs at the site of a pre-existing wound or near body orifices of the host. First instar larvae feed superficially on the wound; however, larger larvae use their hooked mouthparts to burrow deep into the flesh of the host. Damaged blood vessels provide a steady stream of blood and plasma that typically oozes from the infested wound. The wound also acquires a characteristic odour. Presumably, some of the volatile components emanating from the wound, also provide strong signals to gravid female flies, as once infested, wounds become far more attractive as a site to lay eggs than uninfested wounds. As the number of larvae increases, the myiasis enlarges and the well-being of the host is threatened. In areas where gravid female SWF are numerous, the wound has little chance to heal, thus death of the host is likely unless the wound is treated and re-infestation prevented. While New and Old World species are distantly related, they are remarkably similar ecologically and in their biological characteristics. Wherever either species occurs, it is considered a serious pest of livestock. Australia is fortunate that neither species of the screw-worm is present despite evidence that extensive areas appear environmentally suitable. The OWSWF is considered the most serious threat to Australia as it is present in the neighbouring countries of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. It is envisaged that the sterile insect release method (SIRM) will be employed to eradicate the OWSWF if it becomes established in Australia. To facilitate such a programme, and to reduce delays in constructing a suitable mass rearing

Evaluation of gastrointestinal bacterial population for the production of holocellulose enzymes for biomass deconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Asem, Dhaneshwaree; Leo, Vincent Vineeth; Passari, Ajit Kumar; Tonsing, Mary Vanlalhruaii; Joshi, J Beslin; Uthandi, Sivakumar; Hashem, Abeer; Abd Allah, Elsayed Fathi; Singh, Bhim Pratap

2017-01-01

The gastrointestinal (GI) habitat of ruminant and non-ruminant animals sustains a vast ensemble of microbes that are capable of utilizing lignocellulosic plant biomass. In this study, an indigenous swine (Zovawk) and a domesticated goat (Black Bengal) were investigated to isolate bacteria having plant biomass degrading enzymes. After screening and enzymatic quantification of eighty-one obtained bacterial isolates, Serratia rubidaea strain DBT4 and Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus strain DBT87 were revealed as the most potent strains, showing both cellulase and xylanase production. A biomass utilization study showed that submerged fermentation (SmF) of D2 (alkaline pretreated pulpy biomass) using strain DBT4 resulted in the most efficient biomass deconstruction with maximum xylanase (11.98 U/mL) and FPase (0.5 U/mL) activities (55°C, pH 8). The present study demonstrated that bacterial strains residing in the gastrointestinal region of non-ruminant swine are a promising source for lignocellulose degrading microorganisms that could be used for biomass conversion.

Evaluation of gastrointestinal bacterial population for the production of holocellulose enzymes for biomass deconstruction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhaneshwaree Asem

Full Text Available The gastrointestinal (GI habitat of ruminant and non-ruminant animals sustains a vast ensemble of microbes that are capable of utilizing lignocellulosic plant biomass. In this study, an indigenous swine (Zovawk and a domesticated goat (Black Bengal were investigated to isolate bacteria having plant biomass degrading enzymes. After screening and enzymatic quantification of eighty-one obtained bacterial isolates, Serratia rubidaea strain DBT4 and Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus strain DBT87 were revealed as the most potent strains, showing both cellulase and xylanase production. A biomass utilization study showed that submerged fermentation (SmF of D2 (alkaline pretreated pulpy biomass using strain DBT4 resulted in the most efficient biomass deconstruction with maximum xylanase (11.98 U/mL and FPase (0.5 U/mL activities (55°C, pH 8. The present study demonstrated that bacterial strains residing in the gastrointestinal region of non-ruminant swine are a promising source for lignocellulose degrading microorganisms that could be used for biomass conversion.

From a tree to a stand in Finnish boreal forests - biomass estimation and comparison of methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Chunjiang

2009-07-01

There is an increasing need to compare the results obtained with different methods of estimation of tree biomass in order to reduce the uncertainty in the assessment of forest biomass carbon. In this study, tree biomass was investigated in a 30-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) (Young-Stand) and a 130-year-old mixed Norway spruce (Picea abies)-Scots pine stand (Mature-Stand) located in southern Finland (61deg50' N, 24deg22' E). In particular, a comparison of the results of different estimation methods was conducted to assess the reliability and suitability of their applications. For the trees in Mature-Stand, annual stem biomass increment fluctuated following a sigmoid equation, and the fitting curves reached a maximum level (from about 1 kg yr-1 for understorey spruce to 7 kg yr-1 for dominant pine) when the trees were 100 years old). Tree biomass was estimated to be about 70 Mg ha-1 in Young-Stand and about 220 Mg ha-1 in Mature-Stand. In the region (58.00-62.13 degN, 14-34 degE, <= 300 m a.s.l.) surrounding the study stands, the tree biomass accumulation in Norway spruce and Scots pine stands followed a sigmoid equation with stand age, with a maximum of 230 Mg ha-1 at the age of 140 years. In Mature-Stand, lichen biomass on the trees was 1.63 Mg ha-1 with more than half of the biomass occurring on dead branches, and the standing crop of litter lichen on the ground was about 0.09 Mg ha-1. There were substantial differences among the results estimated by different methods in the stands. These results imply that a possible estimation error should be taken into account when calculating tree biomass in a stand with an indirect approach. (orig.)

Characterization of lignocellulosic biomass thermal degradation and physiochemical structure: Effects of demineralization by diverse acid solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asadieraghi, Masoud; Wan Daud, Wan Mohd Ashri

2014-01-01

Highlights: • HF showed interesting results on EFB (empty fruit bunches) and PMF (palm mesocarp fibre) deashing. • HCl indicated maximum ash removal from PKS (palm kernel shell). • Significant pyrolysis reactions took place at ∼250 °C to ∼400 °C. • Inorganics played a considerable catalytic role during the biomasses pyrolysis. • Acid pretreatment introduced some impacts on the biomasses structure. - Abstract: To eliminate the negative impacts of inorganic constituents during biomass thermochemical processes, leaching method by different diluted acid solutions was chosen. The different palm oil biomass samples (palm kernel shell (PKS), empty fruit bunches (EFB) and palm mesocarp fiber (PMF)) were pretreated by various diluted acid solutions (H 2 SO 4 , HClO 4 , HF, HNO 3 , HCl). Acids with the highest degrees of demineralization were selected to investigate the dematerialization impacts on the biomass thermal characteristics and physiochemical structure. Thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectroscopy (TGA-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR) were employed to examine the biomass thermal degradation. TGA and DTG (Derivative thermogravimetry) indicated that the maximum degradation temperatures increased after acid pretreatment due to the minerals catalytic effects. The main permanent evolved gases comprising H 2 , CO 2 , CO were detected online during analysis. The major permanent gases produced at the temperature range of 250–750 °C were attributed to the condensable vapors cracking and probably some secondary reactions. The physiochemical structure change of the acid-treated biomass samples was examined by using Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) method, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and FTIR. The pyrolysis kinetics of the different palm oil biomasses were investigated using first order reaction model

Experimental population dynamics of Rhabdias bufonis (Nematoda) in toads (Bufo bufo): density-dependence in the primary infection

OpenAIRE

Goater, C. P.

2017-01-01

Density-dependence in worm establishment, numbers, biomass and larval production were examined in primary infections of 0, 10, 40, 80 and 160 larvae of the lung nematode, Rhabdias bufonis in the common toad, Bufo bufo. The infection procedure established 4 non-overlapping levels of infection which persisted until 6 weeks post-infection (p.i.), after which there was an overall decline up to 12 weeks p.i. Worm numbers had no direct effect on adult worm survival but temporal changes in worm weig...

The hatching larva of the priapulid worm Halicryptus spinulosus.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssen, Ralf; Wennberg, Sofia A; Budd, Graham E

2009-05-26

Despite their increasing evolutionary importance, basic knowledge about the priapulid worms remains limited. In particular, priapulid development has only been partially documented. Following previous description of hatching and the earliest larval stages of Priapulus caudatus, we here describe the hatching larva of Halicryptus spinulosus. Comparison of the P. caudatus and the H. spinulosus hatching larvae allows us to attempt to reconstruct the ground pattern of priapulid development. These findings may further help unravelling the phylogenetic position of the Priapulida within the Scalidophora and hence contribute to the elucidation of the nature of the ecdysozoan ancestor.

WormScan: a technique for high-throughput phenotypic analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark D Mathew

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: There are four main phenotypes that are assessed in whole organism studies of Caenorhabditis elegans; mortality, movement, fecundity and size. Procedures have been developed that focus on the digital analysis of some, but not all of these phenotypes and may be limited by expense and limited throughput. We have developed WormScan, an automated image acquisition system that allows quantitative analysis of each of these four phenotypes on standard NGM plates seeded with E. coli. This system is very easy to implement and has the capacity to be used in high-throughput analysis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our system employs a readily available consumer grade flatbed scanner. The method uses light stimulus from the scanner rather than physical stimulus to induce movement. With two sequential scans it is possible to quantify the induced phototactic response. To demonstrate the utility of the method, we measured the phenotypic response of C. elegans to phosphine gas exposure. We found that stimulation of movement by the light of the scanner was equivalent to physical stimulation for the determination of mortality. WormScan also provided a quantitative assessment of health for the survivors. Habituation from light stimulation of continuous scans was similar to habituation caused by physical stimulus. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: There are existing systems for the automated phenotypic data collection of C. elegans. The specific advantages of our method over existing systems are high-throughput assessment of a greater range of phenotypic endpoints including determination of mortality and quantification of the mobility of survivors. Our system is also inexpensive and very easy to implement. Even though we have focused on demonstrating the usefulness of WormScan in toxicology, it can be used in a wide range of additional C. elegans studies including lifespan determination, development, pathology and behavior. Moreover, we have even adapted the

Kinetic model for hydrothermal biomass gasification; Kinetisches Modell der hydrothermalen Biomassevergasung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kruse, A.; Keskin, M.; Faquir, M.; Dahmen, N. [Inst. fuer Technische Chemie, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Germany)

2008-07-01

Hydrothermal biomass gasification is a promising technology to produce hydrogen from wet biomass, i.e. a water content of at least 50 %. This process allows the utilization of agricultural wastes or residuals from biochemical conversions. Since the reaction is highly kinetically controlled, it should be possible to optimimize gas yield and composition with respect to a maximum hydrogen yield. The paper describes the simulation of the process using a kinetic reaction model and experimental data from appropriate test facilities. Experiments were performed for several reactor types and a variety of model systems, like glucose, methane and hydroxy methyl furfural, that were identified as intermediate product for the hydrothermal hydrogen production. The influence of different additive 'catalysts' was tested. It was shown that the biomass composition has an important influence on the gas yield. Alkaline salts can be added to increase the yield. A fast heating and agitation of the biomass are also increasing the gas yield.

Silver Uptake and Reuse of Biomass by Saccharomyces cerevisiae ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Studies were carried out on the recovery of bound silver and reuse of Chlorella emersonii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae biomass for further silver uptake after they were placed in contact with 20mg/l silver for 30 minutes to allow for maximum binding. It was found that 0.16M nitric acid gave the best recovery rates of silver.

Microplastic ingestion decreases energy reserves in marine worms.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Stephanie L; Rowe, Darren; Thompson, Richard C; Galloway, Tamara S

2013-12-02

The indiscriminate disposal of plastic to the environment is of concern. Microscopic plastic litter (environment, originating from the fragmentation of plastic items and from industry and personal-care products [1]. On highly impacted beaches, microplastic concentrations (impacts remain understudied [1]. Here, we show that deposit-feeding marine worms maintained in sediments spiked with microscopic unplasticised polyvinylchloride (UPVC) at concentrations overlapping those in the environment had significantly depleted energy reserves by up to 50% (Figure 1). Our results suggest that depleted energy reserves arise from a combination of reduced feeding activity, longer gut residence times of ingested material and inflammation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Insurance against an Old World screw-worm fly invasion of Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tweddle, Neil; Mahon, Rod J.

2000-01-01

Australia is fortunate that neither the New World screw-worm fly Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (NWSWF) nor the Old World screw-worm fly, Chrysomya bezziana Villeneuve (OWSWF), have become established within our country, although much of the northern areas are environmentally suitable (Suthurst et al. 1989). The OWSWF is a substantial threat as it is prevalent in the neighbouring countries of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Perhaps more importantly, it is also present in many of our trading partners in Southeast Asia. The export of live cattle from northern Australian ports to Southeast Asian nations has become an important and rapidly expanding trade. The fly is also present near ports in the Middle East which receive considerable numbers of live sheep exported from various Australian ports. In both situations, there is the ever-present opportunity for the screw-worm fly (SWF) to return to Australia as larvae, pupae or adults on stock carrying vessels. While this means of transport probably represents the most likely route for the pest to gain access to Australia, accidental transport on aircraft and active myiases on humans or companion animals remain possibilities. The introduction of the NWSWF into Australia is considered unlikely, but not impossible. Indeed, in 1992, an Australian tourist returning from South America carried live NWSWF larvae into Australia in a neck wound. Fortunately, the diagnosis was made early and the wound was treated, preventing any larvae evacuating. This was in southern Australia in May, where climatic conditions are unlikely to favour survival at that time of the year, but it demonstrates the potential for inadvertent introduction. Models of the impact of the OWSWF indicate that the cost of an invasion would be high. It has been estimated by Anaman et al. (1993), that the annual cost in an average climate year to beef cattle, sheep and dairy producers of an endemic establishment would be A$281 million. These costs would be

Giant kidney worms in a patient with renal cell carcinoma

OpenAIRE

Kuehn, Jemima; Lombardo, Lindsay; Janda, William M; Hollowell, Courtney M P

2016-01-01

Dioctophyma renale (D. renale), or giant kidney worms, are the largest nematodes that infect mammals. Approximately 20 cases of human infection have been reported. We present a case of a 71-year-old man with a recent history of unintentional weight loss and painless haematuria, passing elongated erythematous tissue via his urethra. CT revealed a left renal mass with pulmonary nodules and hepatic lesions. On microscopy, the erythematous tissue passed was identified as D. renale. On subsequent ...

Parasiticidal and brine shrimp cytotoxicity potential of crude methanolic extract of rind of Punica granatum Linn against round worms and tape worms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Niaz; Jamil, Ayesha; Shah, Syed Wadood Ali; Shah, Ismail; Ahmed, Ghayour; Junaid, Muhammad; Ahmed, Zahoor

2015-05-01

Rind of Punica granatum is traditionally used for anthelmintic purposes. The current work describes the possible anthelmintic activity of crude methanolic extract of Punica granatum (Pg. Cr) against round worms (Ascaridia galli) and the tape worms (Raillietina spiralis). Brine shrimp cytotoxicity is also performed. Brine shrimp cytotoxic activity was tested using different concentrations (1000 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL and 10 μg/mL) of Pg.Cr. In vitro anthelmintic activity of Pg. Cr was determined against the parasites using albendazole and piperazine citrate as standard anthelmintic drugs in concentration 10 mg/ml. LC50 value for Brine shrimp cytotoxicity was 189.44 ±28 μg/mL. In test concentration of 40mg/ml of the Pg. Cr, Raillietina spiralis was paralyzed in 23 minutes. However, for parasiticidal activity (death of the parasite), it took less time (40 minutes) as compared to standard Albendazole. Time taken for death of the parasite Raillietina spiralis, in concentration 40 mg /ml, is 40 min. While standard drugs took more time to kill the Raillietina spiralis. Pg. Cr took 19 minutes to paralyze the Ascaridia galli at concentration 40 mg/ml whereas; it took 48 minutes for to kill the parasite Ascaridia galli. The current work confirms the traditional use of rind of Punica granatum as anthelmintic against Raillietina spiralis and Ascaridia galli. Results of brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay warrant for the isolation of cytotoxic compounds. List of abbreviation- Pg. Cr = Crude methanolic extract of Punica granatum.

Microbial stability of worm castings and sugarcane filter mud compost blended with biochar

Science.gov (United States)

Organic amendments such as worm castings and filter mud compost can provide nutrient rich substrates for enhanced plant growth. Physico-chemical and microbial stability of these substrates might be enhanced with the addition of biochar. A series of experiments was carried out to determine the stab...

Effects of estradiol on worm burden and peripheral leukocytes in Parastrongylus malaysiensis-infected rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamis, A B; Ahmad, R A; Badrul-Munir, M Z

1994-01-01

Gonadectomized male laboratory rats were given 0.06 mg/kg estradiol benzoate daily for 14 days before being inoculated with 50 third-stage larvae of Parastrongylus malaysiensis. Hormone treatment was continued until the rats were killed. The numbers of larvae in the brain and of adult worms in the pulmonary area of the rats were determined every 7 days after the inoculation. It was found that the rats treated daily with estradiol benzoate had significantly and consistently higher numbers of larvae and adult worms as compared with the controls. The number of total leukocytes increased significantly after the rats were infected. The results show that estradiol-treated rats become susceptible to P. malaysiensis infection, which may indicate that the immunosuppressive effects of testosterone observed in earlier studies may partly be caused by estradiol that was peripherally aromatized from testosterone.

Biomass shock pretreatment

Science.gov (United States)

Holtzapple, Mark T.; Madison, Maxine Jones; Ramirez, Rocio Sierra; Deimund, Mark A.; Falls, Matthew; Dunkelman, John J.

2014-07-01

Methods and apparatus for treating biomass that may include introducing a biomass to a chamber; exposing the biomass in the chamber to a shock event to produce a shocked biomass; and transferring the shocked biomass from the chamber. In some aspects, the method may include pretreating the biomass with a chemical before introducing the biomass to the chamber and/or after transferring shocked biomass from the chamber.

Selection of Willows (Salix sp. for Biomass Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davorin Kajba

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: Willows compared with other species are the most suitable for biomass production in short rotations because of their very abundant growth during the first years. Nowadays, in Croatia, a large number of selected and registered willow clones are available. The main objective of the research should be to find genotypes which, with minimum nutrients, will produce the maximum quantity of biomass. Material and Methods: Clonal test of the arborescent willows include the autochthonous White Willow (Salix alba, interracial hybrids of the autochthonous White Willow and the English ‘cricket’ Willow (S. alba var. calva, interspecies hybrids (S. matsudana × S. alba, as well as multispecies hybrids of willows. Average production of dry biomass (DM∙ha-1∙a-1 per hectare was estimated in regard to the clone, survival, spacing and the number of shoots per stump. Results: The highest biomass production as well as the best adaptedness and phenotypic stability on testing site was shown by clones (‘V 374’, ‘V 461’, ‘V 578’ from 15.2 - 25.0 t∙DM∙ha-1∙a-1 originated from backcross hybrid S. matsudana × (S. matsudana × S. alba and by one S. alba clone (‘V 95’, 23.1 - 25.7 t∙DM∙ha-1∙a-1. These clones are now at the stage of registration and these results indicate significant potential for further breeding aimed at biomass production in short rotations. Conclusions: Willow clones showed high biomass production on marginal sites and dry biomass could be considerably increased with the application of intensive silvicultural and agro technical measures. No nutrition or pest control measures were applied (a practice otherwise widely used in intensive cultivation system, while weed vegetation was regulated only at the earliest age.

Factors Affecting sex pheromone production in female cotton leaf worm moth, Spodoptera littoralis (boisd.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sallam, H.A.; Hazaa, M.A.; Abd El-Rahman, H.A.; Hussein, M.A.

2000-01-01

Factors influencing sex pheromone production in the cotton leaf worm female moth with emphasis on gamma radiation were investigated. To determine the effect of age on sex pheromone production, ether extracts of the female abdominal tips were prepared from virgin females of various ages in a concentration of 0.01 FE/mu L. Each female extract was tested against 1-2 days-old males. The obtained results indicated that virgin females could secrete sex pheromone early at the beginning of their life. The pheromone production increased rapidly to reach its maximum on the second day. To study the effect of daytime on sex pheromone production, the ether extracts of 1-2 days old virgin female abdominal tips were prepared at 3 hour-intervals, throughout the photo phase and scotophase in a concentration of 0.01 FE/mu L. The obtained results indicated that pheromone production showed a minimum concentration at mid-day during the photo phase. It then increased to a moderate concentration from 7:0 p.m. to 10:0 p.m. and reached its maximum titer at almost mid-night. The obtained data on the effect of gamma irradiation indicated that irradiation of 3 and 6-day-old female pupae with doses of 60 and 120 Gy, respectively caused a reduction of 28.1 and 27.3 % in male response, respectively, to female sex pheromone extracts. When full-grown female pupae were irradiated with 200 and 350 Gy, a reduction of 15.6 and 75% in male response, respectively, was reached. Thus, an irradiation dose of 350 Gy applied to full-grown female pupae could severely affect pheromone production of the emerging female moths

Radionuclide and heavy metal biosorption by Pseudomonas biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sar, Pinaki; D'Souza, S.F.; Kazy, Sufia K.; Singh, S.P.

2001-01-01

Biosorptive metal (nickel and copper) and radionuclide (uranium) uptake capacity of two Pseudomonas strains was investigated in order to develop biotechnological strategies for toxic metals remediation. Lyophilized Pseudomonas biomass showed a very high uranium loading of 541 mg g -1 dry wt. Compared to this, the other bacterial strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa used for nickel and copper removal yielded a maximum value of 265 mg g -1 and 137 mg g -1 respectively. Cation binding by both the biomass was fast saturating, pH -dependent process with optimum pH for U, Cu and Ni was pH 5.0, 7.0 and 8.0, respectively. In bimetallic combination, U sorption was inhibited only by Fe 3+ , Al 3+ and Cu 2+ suggesting a selective cation binding by the Pseudomonas biomass. In case of Ni and Cu, presence of Na, K or Ca increased the metal binding while Cd and Pb was antagonistic. Mineral acids could recover more than 75% (on average) of sorbed Ni or Cu. Noticeably, uranium and copper desorption was specifically high (88-90%) with sodium carbonate while calcium carbonate showed a good result for nickel. The overall data are in favour of deployment of the test biomass as efficient metal/radionuclide removal/recovery system. (author)

Dot-blot immunoassay of Fasciola gigantica infection using 27 kDa and adult worm regurge antigens in Egyptian patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamel, Hanan H; Saad, Ghada A; Sarhan, Rania M

2013-04-01

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the potential role of the 27-Kilodalton (KDa) antigen versus Fasciola gigantica adult worm regurge antigens in a DOT-Blot assay and to assess this assay as a practical tool for diagnosis fascioliasis in Egyptian patients. Fasciola gigantica antigen of an approximate molecular mass 27-(KDa) was obtained from adult worms by a simple elution SDS-PAGE. A Dot-Blot was developed comparatively to adult worm regurge antigens for the detection of specific antibodies from patients infected with F. gigantica in Egypt. Control sera were obtained from patients with other parasitic infections and healthy volunteers to assess the test and compare between the antigens. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of Dot-Blot using the adult worm regurge were 80%, 90%, 94.1%, and 69.2% respectively, while those using 27-KDa were 100% which confirms the diagnostic potential of this antigen. All patients infected with Fasciola were positive, with cross reactivity reported with Schistosoma mansoni serum samples. This 27-KDa Dot-Blot assay showed to be a promising test which can be used for serodiagnosis of fascioliasis in Egyptian patients especially, those presenting with hepatic disease. It is specific, sensitive and easy to perform method for the rapid diagnosis particularly when more complex laboratory tests are unavailable.

Temporal variation and lack of host specificity among bacterial endosymbionts of Osedax bone worms (Polychaeta: Siboglinidae

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Salathé Rahel M

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Osedax worms use a proliferative root system to extract nutrients from the bones of sunken vertebrate carcasses. The roots contain bacterial endosymbionts that contribute to the nutrition of these mouthless and gutless worms. The worms acquire these essential endosymbionts locally from the environment in which their larvae settle. Here we report on the temporal dynamics of endosymbiont diversity hosted by nine Osedax species sampled during a three-year investigation of an experimental whale fall at 1820-m depth in the Monterey Bay, California. The host species were identified by their unique mitochondrial COI haplotypes. The endosymbionts were identified by ribotyping with PCR primers specifically designed to target Oceanospirillales. Results Thirty-two endosymbiont ribotypes associated with these worms clustered into two distinct bacterial ribospecies that together comprise a monophyletic group, mostly restricted to deep waters (>1000 m. Statistical analyses confirmed significant changes in the relative abundances of host species and the two dominant endosymbiont ribospecies during the three-year sampling period. Bone type (whale vs. cow also had a significant effect on host species, but not on the two dominant symbiont ribospecies. No statistically significant association existed between the host species and endosymbiont ribospecies. Conclusions Standard PCR and direct sequencing proved to be an efficient method for ribotyping the numerically dominant endosymbiont strains infecting a large sample of host individuals; however, this method did not adequately represent the frequency of mixed infections, which appears to be the rule rather than an exception for Osedax individuals. Through cloning and the use of experimental dilution series, we determined that minority ribotypes constituting less than 30% of a mixture would not likely be detected, leading to underestimates of the frequency of multiple infections in host

Temporal variation and lack of host specificity among bacterial endosymbionts of Osedax bone worms (Polychaeta: Siboglinidae)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Osedax worms use a proliferative root system to extract nutrients from the bones of sunken vertebrate carcasses. The roots contain bacterial endosymbionts that contribute to the nutrition of these mouthless and gutless worms. The worms acquire these essential endosymbionts locally from the environment in which their larvae settle. Here we report on the temporal dynamics of endosymbiont diversity hosted by nine Osedax species sampled during a three-year investigation of an experimental whale fall at 1820-m depth in the Monterey Bay, California. The host species were identified by their unique mitochondrial COI haplotypes. The endosymbionts were identified by ribotyping with PCR primers specifically designed to target Oceanospirillales. Results Thirty-two endosymbiont ribotypes associated with these worms clustered into two distinct bacterial ribospecies that together comprise a monophyletic group, mostly restricted to deep waters (>1000 m). Statistical analyses confirmed significant changes in the relative abundances of host species and the two dominant endosymbiont ribospecies during the three-year sampling period. Bone type (whale vs. cow) also had a significant effect on host species, but not on the two dominant symbiont ribospecies. No statistically significant association existed between the host species and endosymbiont ribospecies. Conclusions Standard PCR and direct sequencing proved to be an efficient method for ribotyping the numerically dominant endosymbiont strains infecting a large sample of host individuals; however, this method did not adequately represent the frequency of mixed infections, which appears to be the rule rather than an exception for Osedax individuals. Through cloning and the use of experimental dilution series, we determined that minority ribotypes constituting less than 30% of a mixture would not likely be detected, leading to underestimates of the frequency of multiple infections in host individuals. PMID:23006795

Transcriptomic and proteomic insights into innate immunity and adaptations to a symbiotic lifestyle in the gutless marine worm Olavius algarvensis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wippler, Juliane; Kleiner, Manuel; Lott, Christian; Gruhl, Alexander; Abraham, Paul E; Giannone, Richard J; Young, Jacque C; Hettich, Robert L; Dubilier, Nicole

2016-11-21

The gutless marine worm Olavius algarvensis has a completely reduced digestive and excretory system, and lives in an obligate nutritional symbiosis with bacterial symbionts. While considerable knowledge has been gained of the symbionts, the host has remained largely unstudied. Here, we generated transcriptomes and proteomes of O. algarvensis to better understand how this annelid worm gains nutrition from its symbionts, how it adapted physiologically to a symbiotic lifestyle, and how its innate immune system recognizes and responds to its symbiotic microbiota. Key adaptations to the symbiosis include (i) the expression of gut-specific digestive enzymes despite the absence of a gut, most likely for the digestion of symbionts in the host's epidermal cells; (ii) a modified hemoglobin that may bind hydrogen sulfide produced by two of the worm's symbionts; and (iii) the expression of a very abundant protein for oxygen storage, hemerythrin, that could provide oxygen to the symbionts and the host under anoxic conditions. Additionally, we identified a large repertoire of proteins involved in interactions between the worm's innate immune system and its symbiotic microbiota, such as peptidoglycan recognition proteins, lectins, fibrinogen-related proteins, Toll and scavenger receptors, and antimicrobial proteins. We show how this worm, over the course of evolutionary time, has modified widely-used proteins and changed their expression patterns in adaptation to its symbiotic lifestyle and describe expressed components of the innate immune system in a marine oligochaete. Our results provide further support for the recent realization that animals have evolved within the context of their associations with microbes and that their adaptive responses to symbiotic microbiota have led to biological innovations.

Annual Survey of Horsehair Worm Cysts in Northern Taiwan, with Notes on a Single Seasonal Infection Peak in Chironomid Larvae (Diptera: Chironomidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Ming-Chung; Huang, Chin-Gi; Wu, Wen-Jer; Shiao, Shiuh-Feng

2016-06-01

The life cycle of the freshwater horsehair worm typically includes a free-living phase (adult, egg, larva) and a multiple-host parasitic phase (aquatic paratenic host, terrestrial definitive host). Such a life cycle involving water and land can improve energy flow in riparian ecosystems; however, its temporal dynamics in nature have rarely been investigated. This study examined seasonal infection with cysts in larval Chironominae (Diptera: Chironomidae) in northern Taiwan. In the larval chironomids, cysts of 3 horsehair worm species were identified. The cysts of the dominant species were morphologically similar to those of Chordodes formosanus. Infection with these cysts increased suddenly and peaked 2 mo after the reproductive season of the adult horsehair worms. Although adult C. formosanus emerged several times in a year, only 1 distinct infection peak was detected in September in the chironomid larvae. Compared with the subfamily Chironominae, samples from the subfamilies Tanypodinae and Orthocladiinae were less parasitized. This indicates that the feeding behavior of the chironomid host likely affects horsehair worm cyst infections; however, bioconcentration in predatory chironomids was not detected.

Pretreatment of Biomass by Aqueous Ammonia for Bioethanol Production

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae Hyun; Gupta, Rajesh; Lee, Y. Y.

The methods of pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass using aqueous ammonia are described. The main effect of ammonia treatment of biomass is delignification without significantly affecting the carbohydrate contents. It is a very effective pretreatment method especially for substrates that have low lignin contents such as agricultural residues and herbaceous feedstock. The ammonia-based pretreatment is well suited for simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) because the treated biomass retains cellulose as well as hemicellulose. It has been demonstrated that overall ethanol yield above 75% of the theoretical maximum on the basis of total carbohydrate is achievable from corn stover pretreated with aqueous ammonia by way of SSCF. There are two different types of pretreatment methods based on aqueous ammonia: (1) high severity, low contact time process (ammonia recycle percolation; ARP), (2) low severity, high treatment time process (soaking in aqueous ammonia; SAA). Both of these methods are described and discussed for their features and effectiveness.

Carbohydrates in Ankistrodesmus braunii biomass cultivated in tubular photobioreactors

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Ana Lucía Morocho-Jácome

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The great need for microalgae biomass production in tubular photobioreactors has increased for use in biofuels, pharmaceuticals and even cosmetic applications. In order to better understand the potential applications of this material, it is imperative to know in detail its composition. Ankistrodesmus braunii was cultivated in 3.5 L tubular air-lift photobioreactors using 10 mM sodium nitrate as nitrogen source in batch mode at 60 µmol photons m-2 s-1. The maximum biomass concentration (Xm and the biomass productivity (PX reached at 6th day of cultivation was 1249 ± 72 mg L-1 and 165 ± 13 mg L-1 d-1, respectively. Carbohydrates productivity expressed in terms of glucose, galactose and glucose+galactose (1:1 were 2.57 ± 0.04, 4.12 ± 0.06 and 3.22 ± 0.05 mg L-1 d-1, respectively. Results show a statistical difference that was found between carbohydrate productivity values expressed as glucose, galactose and glucose+galactose (1:1.

SORPTION OF Au(III BY Saccharomyces cerevisiae BIOMASS

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Amaria Amaria

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Au(III sorption by S. cerevisiae biomass extracted from beer waste industry was investigated. Experimentally, the sorption was conducted in batch method. This research involved five steps: 1 identification the functional groups present in the S. cerevisiae biomass by infrared spectroscopic technique, 2 determination of optimum pH, 3 determination of the sorption capacity and energy, 4 determination of the sorption type by conducting desorption of sorbed Au(III using specific eluents having different desorption capacity such as H2O (van der Waals, KNO3 (ion exchange, HNO3 (hydrogen bond, and tiourea (coordination bond, 5 determination of effective eluents in Au(III desorption by partial desorption of sorbed Au(III using thiourea, NaCN and KI. The remaining Au(III concentrations in filtrate were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The results showed that: 1 Functional groups of S. cerevisiae biomass that involved in the sorption processes were hydroxyl (-OH, carboxylate (-COO- and amine (-NH2, 2 maximum sorption was occurred at pH 4, equal to 98.19% of total sorption, 3 The sorption capacity of biomass was 133.33 mg/g (6.7682E-04 mol/g and was involved sorption energy 23.03 kJ mol-1, 4 Sorption type was dominated by coordination bond, 5 NaCN was effective eluent to strip Au(III close to 100%.   Keywords: sorption, desorption, S. cerevisiae biomass, Au(III

Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa l. lapponica eat polychaete worms wherever they winter in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duijns, Sjoerd; Hidayati, Nur Annis; Piersma, Theunis

2013-01-01

Capsule: Across the European wintering range Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica lapponica selected polychaete worms and especially Ragworms Hediste diversicolor, with differences between areas due to variations in prey availability. Aims: To determine the diet of Bar-tailed Godwits across their

Solid waste management of temple floral offerings by vermicomposting using Eisenia fetida

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Akanksha; Jain, Akansha; Sarma, Birinchi K.; Abhilash, P.C.; Singh, Harikesh B.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Effective management of temple floral offerings using E. fetida. ► Physico-chemical properties in TW VC were better especially EC, C/N, C/P and TK. ► TW VC as plant growth promoter at much lower application rates than KW and FYW VC. - Abstract: Recycling of temple waste (TW) mainly comprising of floral offerings was done through vermitechnology using Eisenia fetida and its impact on seed germination and plant growth parameters was studied by comparing with kitchen waste (KW) and farmyard waste (FYW) vermicompost (VC). The worm biomass was found to be maximum in TW VC compared to KW and FYW VCs at both 40 and 120 days old VCs. Physico-chemical analysis of worm-worked substrates showed better results in TW VC especially in terms of electrical conductivity, C/N, C/P and TK. 10% TW VC–water extract (VCE) showed stimulatory effect on germination percentage of chickpea seeds while KW and FYW VCE proved effective at higher concentration. Variation in growth parameters was also observed with change in the VC–soil ratio and TW VC showed enhanced shoot length, root length, number of secondary roots and total biomass at 12.5% VC compared to KW and FYW VC

Solid waste management of temple floral offerings by vermicomposting using Eisenia fetida

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Akanksha, E-mail: bhuaks29@gmail.com [Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005 (India); Jain, Akansha, E-mail: akansha007@rediffmail.com [Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005 (India); Sarma, Birinchi K., E-mail: birinchi_ks@yahoo.com [Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005 (India); Abhilash, P.C., E-mail: pca.iesd@bhu.ac.in [Institute for Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005 (India); Singh, Harikesh B., E-mail: hbs1@rediffmail.com [Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005 (India)

2013-05-15

Highlights: ► Effective management of temple floral offerings using E. fetida. ► Physico-chemical properties in TW VC were better especially EC, C/N, C/P and TK. ► TW VC as plant growth promoter at much lower application rates than KW and FYW VC. - Abstract: Recycling of temple waste (TW) mainly comprising of floral offerings was done through vermitechnology using Eisenia fetida and its impact on seed germination and plant growth parameters was studied by comparing with kitchen waste (KW) and farmyard waste (FYW) vermicompost (VC). The worm biomass was found to be maximum in TW VC compared to KW and FYW VCs at both 40 and 120 days old VCs. Physico-chemical analysis of worm-worked substrates showed better results in TW VC especially in terms of electrical conductivity, C/N, C/P and TK. 10% TW VC–water extract (VCE) showed stimulatory effect on germination percentage of chickpea seeds while KW and FYW VCE proved effective at higher concentration. Variation in growth parameters was also observed with change in the VC–soil ratio and TW VC showed enhanced shoot length, root length, number of secondary roots and total biomass at 12.5% VC compared to KW and FYW VC.

Feasibility of waste to Bio-diesel production via Nuclear-Biomass hybrid model. System dynamics analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, Hoseok; Kasada, Ryuta; Konishi, Satoshi

2017-01-01

Nuclear-Biomass hybrid system which takes waste biomass from municipal, agricultural area, and forest as feedstock produces Bio-diesel fuel from synthesis gas generated by endothermic pyrolytic gasification using high temperature nuclear heat. Over 900 degree Celsius of exterior thermal heat from nuclear reactors, Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) and some other heat sources, bring about waste biomass gasification to produce maximum amount of chemical energy from feedstock. Hydrogen from Biomass gasification or Bio-diesel as the product of Fischer-Tropsch reaction following it provide fuels for transport sector. Nuclear-Biomass hybrid system is a new alternatives to produce more energy generating synergy effects by efficiently utilizing the high temperature heat from nuclear reactor that might be considerably wasted by thermal cycle, and also energy loss from biomass combustion or biochemical processes. System Dynamics approach is taken to analyze low-carbon synthesis fuel, Bio-diesel, production with combination of carbon monoxide and hydrogen from biomass gasification. Feedstock cost considering collection, transportation, storage and facility for biomass gasification impacts the economic feasibility of this model. This paper provides the implication of practical nuclear-biomass hybrid system application with feedstock supply chain through evaluation of economic feasibility. (author)

Optimal control of nutrition restricted dynamics model of Microalgae biomass growth model

Science.gov (United States)

Ratianingsih, R.; Azim; Nacong, N.; Resnawati; Mardlijah; Widodo, B.

2017-12-01

The biomass of the microalgae is very potential to be proposed as an alternative renewable energy resources because it could be extracted into lipid. Afterward, the lipid could be processed to get the biodiesel or bioethanol. The extraction of the biomass on lipid synthesis process is very important to be studied because the process just gives some amount of lipid. A mathematical model of restricted microalgae biomass growth just gives 1/3 proportion of lipid with respect to the biomass in the synthesis process. An optimal control is designed to raise the ratio between the number of lipid formation and the microalgae biomass to be used in synthesis process. The minimum/ Pontryagin maximum principle is used to get the optimal lipid production. The simulation shows that the optimal lipid formation could be reach by simultaneously controlling the carbon dioxide, in the respiration and photosynthesis the process, and intake nutrition rates of liquid waste and urea substrate. The production of controlled microalgae lipid could be increase 6.5 times comparing to the uncontrolled one.

Animal-sediment interactions: the effect of ingestion and excretion by worms on mineralogy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. J. Needham

2004-01-01

Full Text Available By controlled experiments that simulate marine depositional environments, it is shown that accelerated weathering and clay mineral authigenesis occur during the combined process of ingestion, digestion and excretion of fine-grained sediment by two species of annelid worms. Previously characterized synthetic mud was created using finely ground, low-grade metamorphic slate (temperature approximately 300°C containing highly crystalline chlorite and muscovite. This was added to experiment and control tanks along with clean, wind-blown sand. Faecal casts were collected at regular intervals from the experimental tanks and, less frequently, from the control tanks. Over a period of many months the synthetic mud (slate proved to be unchanged in the control tanks, but was significantly different in faecal casts from the experimental tanks that contained the worms Arenicola marina and Lumbricus terrestris. Chlorite was preferentially destroyed during digestion in the gut of A. marina. Both chlorite and muscovite underwent XRD peak broadening with a skew developing towards higher lattice spacing, characteristic of smectite formation. A neoformed Fe-Mg-rich clay mineral (possibly berthierine and as-yet undefined clay minerals with very high d-spacing were detected in both A. marina and L. terrestris cast samples. We postulate that a combination of the low pH and bacteria-rich microenvironment in the guts of annelid worms may radically accelerate mineral dissolution and clay mineral precipitation processes during digestion. These results show that macrobiotic activity significantly accelerates weathering and mineral degradation as well as mineral authigenesis. The combined processes of sediment ingestion and digestion thus lead to early diagenetic growth of clay minerals in clastic sediments.

Heavy metal concentrations in water, sediments and body tissues of red worm (Tubifex spp.) collected from natural habitats in Mumbai, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Ravendra Kumar; Chavan, Sugandha L; Sapkale, Pravin H

2007-06-01

Live feeds, especially Tubifex spp., which are collected from a wide variety of polluted habitats, are used by aquarium fish keepers in India. These habitats receive domestic sewage and industrial wastes from nearby residential and industrial areas. Reports of morbidity and mortality from aquarium fish culturists in and around Mumbai led to the present investigations on the ecology of these habitats with a view to assess the water quality, presence of heavy metals in the environment and their bioaccumulation in Tubifex worms, and to examine whether these habitats could be exploited to meet the demand of the industry. Six natural red worm (Tubifex spp.) collection centres in Mumbai and Thane districts of Maharashtra state in India constituting a major source of live Tubifex supply to aquarium fish industry were evaluated for pollution, heavy metal concentration in water, sediments and in the body tissues of Tubifex. Data revealed the presence of heavy metals in water and sediments at collection sites and bioaccumulation of cadmium, iron, lead, zinc and copper in body tissues of Tubifex worms. Cadmium ranged from 2.38 to 7.21 mg/kg, iron 671.9 to 5738 mg/kg, lead 14.95 to 33.49 mg/kg, zinc 60.20 to 166.60 mg/kg and copper 29.38 to 108.90 mg/kg of dry Tubifex worms. The study suggests that all the six collection sites are polluted and the red worms contaminated with heavy metals and hence, unfit for use in aquaria or feeding any variety of fish or crustaceans in the hatcheries.

ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF CO2 SEQUESTRATION TECHNOLOGIES TASK 4, BIOMASS GASIFICATION-BASED PROCESSING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martha L. Rollins; Les Reardon; David Nichols; Patrick Lee; Millicent Moore; Mike Crim; Robert Luttrell; Evan Hughes

2002-06-01

Biomass derived energy currently accounts for about 3 quads of total primary energy use in the United States. Of this amount, about 0.8 quads are used for power generation. Several biomass energy production technologies exist today which contribute to this energy mix. Biomass combustion technologies have been the dominant source of biomass energy production, both historically and during the past two decades of expansion of modern biomass energy in the U. S. and Europe. As a research and development activity, biomass gasification has usually been the major emphasis as a method of more efficiently utilizing the energy potential of biomass, particularly wood. Numerous biomass gasification technologies exist today in various stages of development. Some are simple systems, while others employ a high degree of integration for maximum energy utilization. The purpose of this study is to conduct a technical and economic comparison of up to three biomass gasification technologies, including the carbon dioxide emissions reduction potential of each. To accomplish this, a literature search was first conducted to determine which technologies were most promising based on a specific set of criteria. The technical and economic performances of the selected processes were evaluated using computer models and available literature. Using these results, the carbon sequestration potential of the three technologies was then evaluated. The results of these evaluations are given in this final report.

Synthesis of hierarchical worm-like SnO{sub 2}@C aggregates and their enhanced lithium storage properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Zhen-Guo [School of Chemical Engineering, SichuanUniversity, Chengdu 610065 (China); College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Li, Jun-Tao, E-mail: jtli@xmu.edu.cn [College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Zhong, Yan-Jun [School of Chemical Engineering, SichuanUniversity, Chengdu 610065 (China); College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Liu, Jie [State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Guo, Xiao-Dong, E-mail: xiaodong2009@163.com [School of Chemical Engineering, SichuanUniversity, Chengdu 610065 (China); Huang, Ling [State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); Zhong, Ben-He [School of Chemical Engineering, SichuanUniversity, Chengdu 610065 (China); Sun, Shi-Gang [College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China); State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China)

2015-01-25

Highlights: • The hierarchical worm-like SnO{sub 2}@C aggregates were synthesized. • The hierarchical worm-like SnO{sub 2}@C unit is assembled by nanowires. • The cycling performances of SnO{sub 2}@C aggregates are improved. • A capacity of 477.0 mA h g{sup −1} at 400 mA g{sup −1} could be obtained after 60 cycles. - Abstract: The present paper reports a synthetic strategy of hierarchical worm-like SnO{sub 2}@C aggregates with enhanced electrochemical performances. Specifically, a glucose-assisted hydrothermal treatment of the intermediate Co–Sn alloy nanoparticles, which were formed by carbothermal reduction of mixed commercial SnO{sub 2} and Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles. The SnO{sub 2}@C sample exhibits enhanced cycling performance in comparison with raw commercial SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles and intermediate Co–Sn alloy nanoparticles when used as anode of lithium ion battery. A stable capacity of 533.6 mA h g{sup −1} at 100 mA g{sup −1} and 477.0 mA h g{sup −1} at 400 mA g{sup −1} remains after 60 cycles. When the current density increases to 1600 mA g{sup −1}, the SnO{sub 2}@C sample still deliver a high capacity of 384.2 mA h g{sup −1}. The superior electrochemical performances could be attributed to the synergistic effect of unique worm-like aggregates structure and carbon surface-layer, which facilitate the electron transportation and buffer the large volume change.

Rearing and estimation of life-cycle parameters of the tubicifid worm Branchiura sowerbyi: application to ecotoxicity testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Ducrot, Virginie; Péry, Alexandre R R; Quéau, Hervé; Mons, Raphaël; Lafont, Michel; Garric, Jeanne

2007-10-01

This paper provides original collection, acclimatizing, rearing and toxicity test methods for the freshwater worm Branchiura sowerbyi, an alternative species to Tubifex tubifex for ecotoxicity evaluation of sediments. Influence of the substrate, type of food, and feeding level on individual performances was assessed in short-term tests, in order to set up optimal culture and test conditions. Low-size particles and high organic matter content favoured the growth and reproduction of B. sowerbyi. The relative contribution of sediments and fish food to the individual food intake was assessed using a foraging efficiency model based upon the dynamic energy budget theory. Individual performances were optimal when the substrate plus fish food provided the energy equivalent to 5 mg Tetramin per worm per day, which is the ad libitum food level for adults at 21 degrees C. The life-cycle of the worm was fully characterized using a life-cycle test conducted under the previously defined optimal conditions. Hatching rates were low (32%), whereas newborn and juveniles exhibited high survival (>80%) and growth (2.4 mg/day in juveniles) rates. Age at puberty was low (60 days) when compared to the maximal life span (1100 days) as predicted using a Weibull model. Adults reproduced every other month with a constant fecundity (0.16 cocoon/worm/day). The mean values of the life-cycle parameters and their variability and reproducibility among laboratory studies were discussed in order to identify relevant endpoints to be used in ecotoxicity tests. Survival, juvenile growth, and fecundity may constitute suitable test endpoints, whereas hatching rate and adult growth should not be used as endpoints in B. sowerbyi.

Effects of wavelength mixing ratio and photoperiod on microalgal biomass and lipid production in a two-phase culture system using LED illumination.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirisuk, Phunlap; Ra, Chae-Hun; Jeong, Gwi-Taek; Kim, Sung-Koo

2018-04-01

Blue and red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were used to study the effects of wavelength mixing ratios, photoperiod regimes, and green wavelength stress on Nannochloropsis salina, Isochrysis galbana, and Phaeodactylum tricornutum cell biomass and lipid production. The maximum specific growth rates of I. galbana and P. tricornutum were obtained under a 50:50 mixing ratio of blue and red wavelength LEDs; that of N. salina was obtained under red LED. Maximum cell biomass for N. salina and P. tricornutum was 0.75 and 1.07 g dcw/L, respectively, obtained under a 24:0 h light/dark cycle. However, the maximum I. galbana biomass was 0.89 g dcw/L under an 18:6 h light/dark cycle. The maximum lipid contents for N. salina, I. galbana, and P. tricornutum were 49.4, 63.3 and 62.0% (w/w), respectively, after exposure to green LED. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were obtained 1% in P. tricornutum and 2% in I. galbana. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An analysis on the re-emergence of SQL Slammer worm using network telescope data

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Chindipha, SD

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The SQL Slammer worm is a self propagated computer virus that caused a denial of service on some Internet hosts and dramatically slowed down general Internet traffic. An observation of network traffic captured in the Rhodes University’s network...

Parasitic Worm in Tiger (Panthera tigris at Serulingmas Zoological Garden Banjarnegara, Bandung Zoological Garden, and Indonesia Safari Park Bogor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Risa Tiuria

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This research was done to infestigate the existence and the type of parasitic worms from feces of tiger (Panthera tigris at Serulingmas Zoological Garden (TRMS at Banjarnegara, Central Java , Bandung Zoological Garden (KBB, and Indonesia Safari Park Bogor (TSI. Total of 35 tigers feces samples were examined. They are taken from 4 Bengal tigers at Serulingmas Zoological Garden, 12 tigers (8 Bengal tigers and 4 Sumatran tigers at Bandung Zoological Garden, and 19 tigers (4 Bengal tigers and 15 Sumatran tigers at Indonesia Safari Park Bogor. All of the feces samples were examined with qualitative (flotation and sedimentation and quantitative (McMaster slide method to know the existence of parasitic worm eggs. Moreover, a tiger feces that contain eggs of strongylid were cultured. Parasitic worms that were found in tigers from the research were ascarid (Toxocara sp, Toxascaris sp, strongylid (Trichostrongylus sp, Ancylostoma sp, Cooperia sp, , oxyurid (Oxyuris sp and Strongyloides sp. The result showed that prevalence index of parasitic worms in tigers at TRMS, KBB, and TSI were 100%, 50%, and 47,4%, respectively. Parasitic worms at TRMS were ascarid (Toxocara sp, strongylid (Ancylostoma sp, Trichostrongylus sp, Cooperia sp and Strongyloides sp. Parasitic worms at KBB were ascarid (Toxocara sp, Toxascaris sp, strongylid (Ancylostoma sp, Trichostrongylus sp, dan oxyurid (Oxyuris sp. Parasitic worms at TSI were ascarid (Toxocara sp, Toxascaris sp, strongylid (Ancylostoma sp, and oxyurid (Oxyuris sp. ABSTRAK Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui jenis cacing parasitik pada harimau (Panthera tigris di Taman Rekreasi Margasatwa Serulingmas (TRMS Banjarnegara Jawa Tengah, Kebun Binatang Bandung (KBB, dan Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI Bogor. Sebanyak 35 sampel tinja harimau dari tiga lembaga konservasi eks-situ, yaitu 4 ekor harimau Benggala dari TRMS, 12 ekor (4 ekor harimau Benggala dan 8 ekor harimau Sumatera dari KBB, dan 19 ekor (4 ekor harimau

Biogeography of worm lizards (Amphisbaenia) driven by end-Cretaceous mass extinction.

Science.gov (United States)

Longrich, Nicholas R; Vinther, Jakob; Pyron, R Alexander; Pisani, Davide; Gauthier, Jacques A

2015-05-07

Worm lizards (Amphisbaenia) are burrowing squamates that live as subterranean predators. Their underground existence should limit dispersal, yet they are widespread throughout the Americas, Europe and Africa. This pattern was traditionally explained by continental drift, but molecular clocks suggest a Cenozoic diversification, long after the break-up of Pangaea, implying dispersal. Here, we describe primitive amphisbaenians from the North American Palaeocene, including the oldest known amphisbaenian, and provide new and older molecular divergence estimates for the clade, showing that worm lizards originated in North America, then radiated and dispersed in the Palaeogene following the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) extinction. This scenario implies at least three trans-oceanic dispersals: from North America to Europe, from North America to Africa and from Africa to South America. Amphisbaenians provide a striking case study in biogeography, suggesting that the role of continental drift in biogeography may be overstated. Instead, these patterns support Darwin and Wallace's hypothesis that the geographical ranges of modern clades result from dispersal, including oceanic rafting. Mass extinctions may facilitate dispersal events by eliminating competitors and predators that would otherwise hinder establishment of dispersing populations, removing biotic barriers to dispersal. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

The hatching larva of the priapulid worm Halicryptus spinulosus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budd Graham E

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Despite their increasing evolutionary importance, basic knowledge about the priapulid worms remains limited. In particular, priapulid development has only been partially documented. Following previous description of hatching and the earliest larval stages of Priapulus caudatus, we here describe the hatching larva of Halicryptus spinulosus. Comparison of the P. caudatus and the H. spinulosus hatching larvae allows us to attempt to reconstruct the ground pattern of priapulid development. These findings may further help unravelling the phylogenetic position of the Priapulida within the Scalidophora and hence contribute to the elucidation of the nature of the ecdysozoan ancestor.

Pyrolytic sugars from cellulosic biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzhiyil, Najeeb

phosphoric acids) and organic acids (formic and acetic acids) followed by analytical pyrolysis on a micropyrolyzer/GC/MS/FID system. It was found that sulfuric and phosphoric acids are very effective in passivating the AAEM thereby increasing the yield of anhydrosugars. An excellent correlation was discovered between the amount of acid required to obtain the maximum yield of anhydrosugars and the amount of AAEM contained in the biomass feedstock. In the micro-scale studies, up to 56% of the cellulose contained in the biomass was converted into anhydrosugars which is close to the 57% conversion obtained from pure cellulose pyrolysis. It is known that LG polymerization and subsequent charring occur at temperatures above 275°C depending on the vapor pressure of LG in the gas stream. A study of pyrolysis of acid-infused biomass feedstocks at various temperatures revealed that LG recovery is best at lower temperatures than the conventional pyrolysis temperature range of 450-500°C. Pyrolysis of acid-infused biomass failed in a continuous fluidized bed reactor due to clogging of the bed. The feedstock formed vitreous material along with the fluidizing sand that was formed from poor pyrolysis of lignin. However, more investigation of this phenomenon is a subject for future work. Pyrolysis experiments on an auger type reactor were successful in producing bio-oils with unprecedented amounts of sugars. Though there was increase in charring when compared to the control feedstock, pyrolysis of red oak infused with 0.4 wt% of sulfuric acid produced bio-oil with 18wt% of sugars. One of the four fractions of bio-oil collected contained most of the sugars, which shows significant potential for separating the sugars from bio-oil using simple means. This work points towards a new pathway for making advanced biofuels viz. upgrading pyrolytic sugars from biomass that could compete with enzymatic sugars from biomass.

The effects of chronic radiation on reproductive success of the polychaete worm Neanthes arenaceodentata

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, F.L.; Anderson, S.L.

1988-12-01

The effects of lifetime exposure to chronic irradiation on reproductive success were assessed for laboratory populations of the polychaete worm Neanthes arenaceodentata. Lifetime exposure was initiated upon the spawning of the P 1 female and was terminated upon spawning of the F 1 female. Groups of experimental worms received either no radiation (controls) or 0.19, 2.1, or 17 mGy/h. The total dose received by the worms was either background or approximately 0.55, 6.5, or 54 Gy, respectively. The broods from the F 1 mated pairs were sacrificed before hatching occurred, and information was obtained on brood size, on the number of normal and abnormal embryos, and on the number of embryos that were living, dying, and dead. The mean number of embryos in the broods from the F 1 females exposed to lifetime radiation of 0.19 and 2.1 mGy/h was not significantly different from the mean number of embryos from control females; however, the mean number of embryos was different from those F 1 females exposed to 17 mGy/h. There was a significant reduction in the number of live embryos in the broods from the F 1 mated pairs that were exposed to the lowest dose rate given, 0.19 mGy/h, as well as those exposed to 2.1 and 17 mGy/h. Also, increased percentages of abnormal embryos were determined in the broods of all the radiation-exposed groups. 39 refs., 10 figs., 15 tabs

Application of biomass for the sorption of radionuclides from low level Purex aqueous wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramanujam, A.; Gopalakrishnan, V.; Dhami, P.S.; Kannan, R.; Udupa, S.R.; Salvi, N.A.

1997-05-01

Microbial biomass have been found to be good biological adsorbents for radioactive nuclides such as uranium and thorium with comparatively easy desorption and recovery. Based on this, sorption studies have been carried out to assess the feasibility of using biomass Rhizopus arrhizus (RA) for the removal of radionuclides present in Purex low level waste streams. Biomass Rhizopus arrhizus (RA) appears effective for the removal of actinides and fission products from low level Purex plant waste/effluent solutions. Maximum sorption for uranium and plutonium is observed at 6-7 pH whereas for Am, Eu, Pm, Ce and Zr the sorption is maximum at pH 2 with high D values and fast kinetics in both cases. Sorption for Ru and Cs are negligible. Sorbed nuclides are recoverable by elution with 1 M HNO 3 , on once through basis. The method can be used for treating the evaporator condensates from the plant and the hold-up delay tank solution. The sodium nitrate salt concentration in the aqueous solution beyond 0.14 M seriously affects the metal uptake. The results from column experiments indicate a limited loading capacity in terms of mg of Am/U/Pu etc. per gm of RA. However, as the Purex low level effluents contain only trace level activities whose absolute ionic concentrations are much lower, the capacities observed with the present form of biomass may still be satisfactory

Bifurcation Analysis for an SEIRS-V Model with Delays on the Transmission of Worms in a Wireless Sensor Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zizhen Zhang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Hopf bifurcation for an SEIRS-V model with delays on the transmission of worms in a wireless sensor network is investigated. We focus on existence of the Hopf bifurcation by regarding the diverse delay as a bifurcation parameter. The results show that propagation of worms in the wireless sensor network can be controlled when the delay is suitably small under some certain conditions. Then, we study properties of the Hopf bifurcation by using the normal form theory and center manifold theorem. Finally, we give a numerical example to support the theoretical results.

Fodder Biomass Monitoring in Sahelian Rangelands Using Phenological Metrics from FAPAR Time Series

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diouf, Abdoul Aziz; Brandt, Martin Stefan; Verger, Aleixandre

2015-01-01

Timely monitoring of plant biomass is critical for the management of forage resources in Sahelian rangelands. The estimation of annual biomass production in the Sahel is based on a simple relationship between satellite annual Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and in situ biomass data....... This study proposes a new methodology using multi-linear models between phenological metrics from the SPOT-VEGETATION time series of Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) and in situ biomass. A model with three variables—large seasonal integral (LINTG), length of growing season......, and end of season decreasing rate—performed best (MAE = 605 kg·DM/ha; R2 = 0.68) across Sahelian ecosystems in Senegal (data for the period 1999–2013). A model with annual maximum (PEAK) and start date of season showed similar performances (MAE = 625 kg·DM/ha; R2 = 0.64), allowing a timely estimation...

Fungi-based treatment of brewery wastewater-biomass production and nutrient reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hultberg, M; Bodin, H

2017-06-01

The beer-brewing process produces high amounts of nutrient-rich wastewater, and the increasing number of microbreweries worldwide has created a need for innovative solutions to deal with this waste. In the present study, fungal biomass production and the removal of organic carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen from synthetic brewery wastewater were studied. Different filamentous fungi with a record of safe use were screened for growth, and Trametes versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus and Trichoderma harzianum were selected for further work. The highest biomass production, 1.78 ± 0.31 g L -1 of dry weight, was observed when P. ostreatus was used for the treatment, while T. harzianum demonstrated the best capability for removing nutrients. The maximum reduction of chemical oxygen demand, 89% of the initial value, was observed with this species. In the removal of total nitrogen and phosphorus, no significant difference was observed between the species, while removal of ammonium varied between the strains. The maximum reduction of ammonium, 66.1% of the initial value, was also found in the T. harzianum treatment. It can be concluded that all treatments provided significant reductions in all water-quality parameters after 3 days of growth and that the utilisation of filamentous fungi to treat brewery wastewater, linked to a deliberate strategy to use the biomass produced, has future potential in a bio-based society.

Critical assessment of extracellular polymeric substances extraction methods from mixed culture biomass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pellicer i Nàcher, Carles; Domingo Felez, Carlos; Mutlu, Ayten Gizem

2013-01-01

. This study presents a rigorous and critical assessment of existing physical and chemical EPS extraction methods applied to mixed-culture biomass samples (nitrifying, nitritation-anammox, and activated sludge biomass). A novel fluorescence-based method was developed and calibrated to quantify the lysis...... potential of different EPS extraction protocols. We concluded that commonly used methods to assess cell lysis (DNA concentrations or G6PDH activities in EPS extracts) do not correlate with cell viability. Furthermore, we discovered that the presence of certain chemicals in EPS extracts results in severe...... underestimation of protein and carbohydrate concentrations by using standard analytical methods. Keeping both maximum EPS extraction yields and minimal biomass lysis as criteria, it was identified a sonication-based extraction method as the best to determine and compare tightly-bound EPS fractions in different...

Importance of dose metrics for lethal and sublethal sediment metal toxicity in the oligochaete worm Lumbriculus variegatus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Penttinen, O.P.; Kilpi-Koski, J.; Toivainen, K. [Helsinki Univ., Lahti (Finland). Dept. of Ecology end Environmental Sciences; Jokela, M. [Mikkeli Univ. of Applied Sciences, Mikkeli (Finland); Vaeisaenen, A. [Jyvaeskylae Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Chemistry

2008-02-15

Background, aims, and scope. There is an increasing demand for controlled toxicity tests to predict biological effects related to sediment metal contamination. In this context, questions of metal-specific factors, sensitivity of toxicity endpoints, and variability in exposure duration arise. In addition, the choice of the dose metrics for responses is equally important and is related to the applicability of the concept of critical body residue (CBR) in exposure assessments, as well as being the main focus of this study. Methods. Experiments were conducted to assess toxicity of Cd, Cr, Cu and Pb to the oligochaete worm Lumbriculus variegatus with the aim of determining CBRs for two response metrics. Mortality and feeding activity of worms exposed to sediment-spiked metals were used as end-points in connection with residue analyses from both the organisms and the surrounding media. Results. LC50 values were 0.3, 1.4, 5.2, and 6.7 mg/L (from 4.7 {mu}mol/L to 128.0 {mu}mol/L), and the order of toxicity, from most toxic to least toxic, was Cu > Cd > Pb>Cr. By relating toxicity to body residue, variability in toxicity among the metals decreased and the order of toxicity was altered. The highest lethal residue value was obtained for Cu (10.8 mmol/kg) and the lowest was obtained for Cd (2.3 mmol/kg). In the 10-d sublethal test, both time and metal exposure were an important source of variation in the feeding activity of worms. The significant treatment effects were observed from worms exposed to Cd or Pb, with the controls yielding the highest feeding rate. However, quantitative changes in the measured end-point did not correlate with the exposure concentrations or body residues, which remained an order of magnitude lower than in the acute exposures. (orig.)

Managing anthelmintic resistance-Variability in the dose of drug reaching the target worms influences selection for resistance?

Science.gov (United States)

Leathwick, Dave M; Luo, Dongwen

2017-08-30

The concentration profile of anthelmintic reaching the target worms in the host can vary between animals even when administered doses are tailored to individual liveweight at the manufacturer's recommended rate. Factors contributing to variation in drug concentration include weather, breed of animal, formulation and the route by which drugs are administered. The implications of this variability for the development of anthelmintic resistance was investigated using Monte-Carlo simulation. A model framework was established where 100 animals each received a single drug treatment. The 'dose' of drug allocated to each animal (i.e. the concentration-time profile of drug reaching the target worms) was sampled at random from a distribution of doses with mean m and standard deviation s. For each animal the dose of drug was used in conjunction with pre-determined dose-response relationships, representing single and poly-genetic inheritance, to calculate efficacy against susceptible and resistant genotypes. These data were then used to calculate the overall change in resistance gene frequency for the worm population as a result of the treatment. Values for m and s were varied to reflect differences in both mean dose and the variability in dose, and for each combination of these 100,000 simulations were run. The resistance gene frequency in the population after treatment increased as m decreased and as s increased. This occurred for both single and poly-gene models and for different levels of dominance (survival under treatment) of the heterozygote genotype(s). The results indicate that factors which result in lower and/or more variable concentrations of active reaching the target worms are more likely to select for resistance. The potential of different routes of anthelmintic administration to play a role in the development of anthelmintic resistance is discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biosorption of Zn(II) by chemically modified biomass of corncob

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zafar, H.; Nadeem, R.; Iqbal, T.; Ansari, T.M.

2011-01-01

In conducted research corncob powder was pretreated with inorganic acids and bases. The consequence of different parameters such as initial metal concentration, pH and contact time on Zn(II) bio sorption from aqueous solution was deliberated. The order of maximum Zn(II) uptake q/sub max/ (mgg/sup -1/) for different pretreated and raw corncob powder was Ba(OH)/sub 2/ (128.9)> H/sub 3/PO/sub 4/ (124.07)> NaOH (118.737)> H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ (114.8)> HCl (93.41)> Al(OH)/sup 3/ (87.9)> Native (86.74). The percentage of Zn(II) removed on corncob biomass increased with increase in pH reaching a maximum at pH 5.5. Kinetics of Zn(II) bio sorption described that Zn(II) sorption rate was high in first 15-30 minutes and equilibrium was established after 120 minutes. The maximum adsorption data of native and pretreated biomass was investigated using Langmuir, Freundlich equilibrium and Pseudo first and second order kinetic models. It was accomplished that structural modifications onto corncob powder lead to the formation of novel bio masses with increased sorption efficiency and environmental stability for the abatement of Zn(II). Thus, optimization of bio sorption parameters, chemical pretreatments of bio sorbents and study of mechanisms are the main keys to transfer the bio sorption process from Lab to Industry. (author)

Radiation sensitivity and gene expression in Enchytraeus japonensis, a species of earth worm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubota, Yoshihisa

2011-01-01

The importance of radiological protection of the environment based on scientific principles is gaining international recognition as environment issues garner more attention. Earthworm (annelids) is a ubiquitous soil invertebrate known to play an important role in the maintenance of the soil ecosystem and thus selected as one of 12 kinds of reference animals and plants by the ICRP. In the present study, radiation sensitivity and gene expression in a recently described terrestrial oligochaete, Enchytraeus japonensis (E. japonensis) were studied. E. japonensis worms were acutely irradiated at increasing doses of gamma radiation, and the number of worms after 30 days of radiation was examined. The dose effectively inhibiting 50% of proliferation was approximately 22 Gy, which was comparable to the dose required to elicit growth inhibition in other earthworm species. In order to seek other biological endpoints for more sensitive and/or quicker assessment of radiation effects, gene expression profiling in E. japonensis was also performed, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase I (PARP I) was identified as a radiation-responsive gene. PARP I transcript level increased dose-dependently. (author)

Renewable energy--traditional biomass vs. modern biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldemberg, Jose; Teixeira Coelho, Suani

2004-01-01

Renewable energy is basic to reduce poverty and to allow sustainable development. However, the concept of renewable energy must be carefully established, particularly in the case of biomass. This paper analyses the sustainability of biomass, comparing the so-called 'traditional' and 'modern' biomass, and discusses the need for statistical information, which will allow the elaboration of scenarios relevant to renewable energy targets in the world

Early Cambrian sipunculan worms from southwest China.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Di-Ying; Chen, Jun-Yuan; Vannier, Jean; Saiz Salinas, J I

2004-08-22

We report the discovery of sipunculan worms from the Lower Cambrian Maotianshan Shale, near Kunming (southwest China). Their sipunculan identity is evidenced by the general morphology of the animals (sausage-shaped body with a slender retractable introvert and a wider trunk) and by other features, both external (e.g. perioral crown of tentacles, and hooks, papillae and wrinkle rings on the body surface) and internal (U-shaped gut, and the anus opening near the introvert-trunk junction). The three fossil forms (Archaeogolfingia caudata gen. et sp. nov., Cambrosipunculus tentaculatus gen. et sp. nov. and Cambrosipunculus sp.) have striking similarities to modern sipunculans, especially the Golfingiidae to which their evolutionary relationships are discussed. This study suggests that most typical features of extant sipunculans have undergone only limited changes since the Early Cambrian, thus indicating a possible evolutionary stasis over the past 520 Myr.

CHRONIC EFFECTS OF THE HERBICIDE DIURON ON FRESHWATER CLADOCERANS,AMPHIPODS,MIDGES,MINNOWS,WORMS, AND SNAILS

Science.gov (United States)

The chronic effects of the herbicide diuron on survival and reproduction of Daphnia pulex, and survival and growth of the amphipod Hyalella azteca, the midge Chironomus tentans, juvenile and embro/larval fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas, annelid worms, Lumbriculus variegatus,...

Bio sorption of Reactive Dye from Textile Wastewater by Non-viable Biomass of Aspergillus niger and Spirogyra sp

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalaf, M.A.

2008-01-01

The Potential of Aspergillus niger fungus and Spirogyra sp., a fresh water green algae, was investigated as a bio sorbents for removal of reactive dye (Synazol) from its multi-component textile wastewater. Pre-treatment of fungal and algal biomass with autoclaving increased the removal of dye more than that pre-treated with gamma-irradiation. The heat dried autoclaved biomass for the 2 organisms exhibited maximum dye removal at ph 3, temperature 30 degree C and 8 g/l (w/v) biomass conc. after 18 h contact time. The results showed that the non-viable biomass possessed high stability and efficiency of dye removal over 3 repeated batches

Taxonomy Icon Data: Ptychodera flava Eschscholtz (Acorn worm) [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Ptychodera flava Eschscholtz (Acorn worm) Ptychodera flava Hemichordata Ptychodera_flava_L.png Ptycho...dera_flava_NL.png Ptychodera_flava_S.png Ptychodera_flava_NS.png http://biosciencedbc.jp/t...axonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Ptychodera+flava&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Ptychodera+fla...va&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Ptychodera+flava&t=S htt...p://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Ptychodera+flava&t=NS http://togodb.biosciencedbc.jp/togodb/view/taxonomy_icon_comment_en?species_id=161 ...

Biological decolorization of xanthene dyes by anaerobic granular biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Apostol, Laura Carmen; Pereira, Luciana; Pereira, Raquel; Gavrilescu, Maria; Alves, Maria Madalena

2012-09-01

Biodegradation of a xanthene dyes was investigated for the first time using anaerobic granular sludge. On a first screening, biomass was able to decolorize, at different extents, six azo dye solutions: acid orange 7, direct black 19, direct blue 71, mordant yellow 10, reactive red 2 and reactive red 120 and two xanthene dyes--Erythrosine B and Eosin Y. Biomass concentration, type of electron donor, induction of biomass with dye and mediation with activated carbon (AC) were variables studied for Erythrosine B (Ery) as model dye. Maximum color removal efficiency was achieved with 4.71 g VSS L⁻¹, while the process rates were independent of the biomass concentration above 1.89 g VSS L⁻¹. No considerable effects were observed when different substrates were used as electron donors (VFA, glucose or lactose). Addition of Ery in the incubation period of biomass led to a fivefold increase of the decolorization rate. The rate of Ery decolorization almost duplicated in the presence of commercial AC (0.1 g L⁻¹ AC₀). Using different modified AC samples (from the treatment of AC₀), a threefold higher rate was obtained with the most basic one, AC(H₂), as compared with non-mediated reaction. Higher rates were obtained at pH 6.0. Chemical reduction using Na₂S confirmed the recalcitrant nature of this dye. The results attest that decolorization of Ery is essentially due to enzymatic and adsorption phenomena.

Thermodynamic approach to biomass gasification; Approche thermodynamique des transformations de la biomasse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boissonnet, G.; Seiler, J.M.

2003-07-01

The document presents an approach of biomass transformation in presence of steam, hydrogen or oxygen. Calculation results based on thermodynamic equilibrium are discussed. The objective of gasification techniques is to increase the gas content in CO and H{sub 2}. The maximum content in these gases is obtained when thermodynamic equilibrium is approached. Any optimisation action of a process. will, thus, tend to approach thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. On the other hand, such calculations can be used to determine the conditions which lead to an increase in the production of CO and H{sub 2}. An objective is also to determine transformation enthalpies that are an important input for process calculations. Various existing processes are assessed, and associated thermodynamic limitations are evidenced. (author)

Bio energy: Production of Biomass; Produksjon av biomasse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noreng, Katrina; Indergaard, Mentz; Liodden, Ole Joergen; Hohle, Erik Eid; Sandberg, Eiliv

2001-07-01

This is Chapter 2 of the book ''Bio energy - Environment, technique and market''. Its main sections are: (1) Biomass resources in Norway, (2) The foundation - photosynthesis, (3) Biomass from forestry, (4) Biomass from peat lands, (5) Biomass from agriculture and (6) Biomass from lakes and sea. The exposition largely describes the conditions in Norway, where the use of bio energy can be increased from 15 TWh to 35 TWh using available technology. At present, water-borne heating systems are not extensively used in Norway and 30% of the biomass that is cut in the forests remains there as waste. Using this waste for energy generation would not only contribute to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, but would often lead to improved forest rejuvenation. Use of a few per thousand of the Norwegian peat lands would produce 2 - 3 TWh. According to calculations, along the coast of Norway, there are at least 15 mill tonnes of kelp and sea tangle and these resources can be utilized in a sustainable way.

Sorption-reduction coupled gold recovery process boosted by Pycnoporus sanguineus biomass: Uptake pattern and performance enhancement via biomass surface modification.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Chaohong; Zhu, Nengwu; Kang, Naixin; Wu, Pingxiao; Zhang, Xiaoping; Zhang, Yanhong

2017-09-01

Biorecovery is emerging as a promising process to retrieve gold from secondary resources. The present study aimed to explore the uptake pattern of Pycnoporus sanguineus biomass for gold, identify the effective functional groups in gold recovery process, and thus further intensify the process via microbial surface modification. Results showed that P. sanguineus biomass could effectively recover gold with the formation of highly crystal AuNPs without any exogeneous electron donor. Under the conditions of various initial gold concentrations (1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 mM), biomass dosage of 2.0 g/L, solution pH value of 4.0, and incubation temperature of 30°C, the uptake equilibrium established after 4, 8, and 12 h, respectively. The uptake process could be well described by pseudo-second order kinetics model (R 2  = 0.9988) and Langmuir isotherm model (R 2  = 0.9958). The maximum uptake capacity of P. sanguineus reached as high as 358.69 mg/g. Further analysis indicated that amino, carboxyl and hydroxyl groups positively contributed to the uptake process. Among them, amino group significantly favored the uptake of gold during recovery process. When P. sanguineus biomass was modified by introduction of amino group, the gold uptake process was successfully intensified by shortening the uptake period and enhancing the uptake capacity. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1314-1322, 2017. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

A New Design of the Universal Test Rig to Measure the Wear Characterizations of Polymer Acetal Gears (Spur, Helical, Bevel, and Worm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samy Yousef

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This work aims to study the wear characterization of common types of acetal polymer gears (spur, helical, bevel, and worm using a new TS universal test rig, in order to obtain reliable results and as a reference when compared with acetal nanocomposite gears later. The TS universal test rig consists of three different units that are connected by a main driver shaft and a pair of constantly meshing metal spur gears, which transfer power to the bevel and worm test units. The first unit is used to test the bevel gears, the second unit is used to test the spur and helical gears, and the third unit is used to test the worm gears. The loading mechanism is similarly designed to block the brake mechanism. Hobbing and milling machines were used to machine an injection-moulded polymer flanges and produce the tested gears. All gear pairs, except the worm gear, have identical gear ratios. The experiments were performed at speed 1420 rpm and the torque was 4 Nm. The results showed that the wear rates (in the form of weight loss of spur gears were consistent with the previous results and the other gear types had larger wear rates.

Fungal biomass production from coffee pulp juice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Leon, R.; Calzada, F.; Herrera, R.; Rolz, C.

1980-01-01

Coffee pulp or skin represents about 40% of the weight of the fresh coffee fruit. It is currently a waste and its improper handling creates serious pollution problems for coffee producing countries. Mechanical pressing of the pulp will produce two fractions: coffee pulp juice (CPJ) and pressed pulp. Aspergillus oryzae, Trichoderma harzianum, Penicillium crustosum and Gliocladium deliquescens grew well in supplemented CPJ. At shake flask level the optimum initial C/N ratio was found to be in the range of 8 to 14. At this scale, biomass values of up to 50 g/l were obtained in 24 hours. Biomass production and total sugar consumption were not significantly different to all fungal species tested at the bench-scale level, even when the initial C/N ratio was varied. Best nitrogen consumption values were obtained when the initial C/N ratio was 12. Maximum specific growth rates occurred between 4-12 hours for all fungal species tested. (Refs. 8).

Red worm behavior (Eisenia spp.) in vermicomposting systems of organic residues

OpenAIRE

Mamani-Mamani Gladys; Mamani-Pati Francisco; Sainz-Mendoza Humberto; Villca-Huanaco René

2012-01-01

This work evaluates the behavior of the vermicomposting red worm (Eisenia spp.) in two environments (greenhouse and unsheltered) and with two solid organic substrates (cow manure=CM and kitchen waste=KW) in the zone of Carmen Pampa, Nor Yungas Province, Department of La Paz – Bolivia, using a factorial design with two factors and three repetitions (ANOVA analysis). The largest number of cocoons was found in the greenhouse treatment, with 64 in CM and 41 in KW. Cocoon viability was also greate...

Facile Synthesis of Worm-like Micelles by Visible Light Mediated Dispersion Polymerization Using Photoredox Catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeow, Jonathan; Xu, Jiangtao; Boyer, Cyrille

2016-06-08

Presented herein is a protocol for the facile synthesis of worm-like micelles by visible light mediated dispersion polymerization. This approach begins with the synthesis of a hydrophilic poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (POEGMA) homopolymer using reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Under mild visible light irradiation (λ = 460 nm, 0.7 mW/cm(2)), this macro-chain transfer agent (macro-CTA) in the presence of a ruthenium based photoredox catalyst, Ru(bpy)3Cl2 can be chain extended with a second monomer to form a well-defined block copolymer in a process known as Photoinduced Electron Transfer RAFT (PET-RAFT). When PET-RAFT is used to chain extend POEGMA with benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) in ethanol (EtOH), polymeric nanoparticles with different morphologies are formed in situ according to a polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) mechanism. Self-assembly into nanoparticles presenting POEGMA chains at the corona and poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA) chains in the core occurs in situ due to the growing insolubility of the PBzMA block in ethanol. Interestingly, the formation of highly pure worm-like micelles can be readily monitored by observing the onset of a highly viscous gel in situ due to nanoparticle entanglements occurring during the polymerization. This process thereby allows for a more reproducible synthesis of worm-like micelles simply by monitoring the solution viscosity during the course of the polymerization. In addition, the light stimulus can be intermittently applied in an ON/OFF manner demonstrating temporal control over the nanoparticle morphology.

Dental worm disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabbatani, Sergio; Fiorino, Sirio

2016-12-01

During human evolution, the period in which groups of humans stopped harvesting fruits and seeds growing wild and introduced the cultivation of cereals as well as the domestication of animals represents a very important event. This circumstance had a considerable impact on human pathocenosis, increasing the risk of infectious diseases of animal origin. The aim of this review was to summarise the archaeological and palaeo-pathological evidence in the literature concerning this topic. Starting from early prehistory (about 1.5 million years ago) up to the historical period, several authors have described the changes in human habits and the consequent changes in food supply, leading to the transition from a protein- to a carbohydrate-rich diet across a broad interval of time. This led to additional problems for human health. The increased accumulation of carbohydrate debris in the odonto-stomatological apparatus, without the appropriate use of hygiene in the oral cavity, increased the risk of infectious disease involving the mouth. Therefore, since the Neolithic period there has been a higher risk of tooth caries, abscesses, deep infection of the teeth roots, reaching also the mandibular and maxillary bone. Several hypotheses have been proposed by the distinct civilizations, which have alternated in the different ages, to explain the cause of these human health problems, including the idea that a "dental worm" could be involved in this process, such as in the Sumerian period. We describe and discuss further modifications of this theory, developed in Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, China, Greece, in Etruscan cities and in Rome in ancient times as well as in the Middle Ages, and the evolution of scientific thought on this topic in the past 300 years. In addition, the results of some palaeo-pathological studies, which were performed on human remains, such as the maxillary bone and teeth, mainly in different geographical areas in Italy, are examined and reported.

Assay of old-world screw-worm fly, Chrysomya bezziana, labelled with 32P

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, K.P.; Sands, D.P.A.; Spradbery, J.P.

1978-01-01

Techniques for 32 P labelling of larvae and adults of the screw-worm fly, Chrysomya bezziana, are described. Egg masses of labelled flies were readily identified. At the doses used for field releases, oviposition activity, fertility and longevity of female flies were not adversely affected. Radioactive egg masses were recovered from sentinel animals following field release of labelled flies. (Auth.)

Biomass recalcitrance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Felby, Claus

2009-01-01

Alternative and renewable fuels derived from lignocellulosic biomass offer a promising alternative to conventional energy sources, and provide energy security, economic growth, and environmental benefits. However, plant cell walls naturally resist decomposition from microbes and enzymes - this co......Alternative and renewable fuels derived from lignocellulosic biomass offer a promising alternative to conventional energy sources, and provide energy security, economic growth, and environmental benefits. However, plant cell walls naturally resist decomposition from microbes and enzymes...... - this collective resistance is known as "biomass recalcitrance." Breakthrough technologies are needed to overcome barriers to developing cost-effective processes for converting biomass to fuels and chemicals. This book examines the connection between biomass structure, ultrastructure, and composition......, to resistance to enzymatic deconstruction, with the aim of discovering new cost-effective technologies for biorefineries. It contains chapters on topics extending from the highest levels of biorefinery design and biomass life-cycle analysis, to detailed aspects of plant cell wall structure, chemical treatments...

A deformable magnetizable worm in a magnetic field-A prototype of a mobile crawling robot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zimmermann, Klaus [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technische Universitaet Ilmenau, PF 10 05 65, 98684 (Germany)]. E-mail: klaus.zimmermann@tu-ilmenau.de; Naletova, Vera A. [Department of Mechanics and Mathematics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992 (Russian Federation); Institute of Mechanics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1, Michurinsky Pr., Moscow 119192 (Russian Federation); Zeidis, Igor [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technische Universitaet Ilmenau, PF 10 05 65, 98684 (Germany); Turkov, Vladimir A. [Institute of Mechanics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1, Michurinsky Pr., Moscow 119192 (Russian Federation); Kolev, Emil [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technische Universitaet Ilmenau, PF 10 05 65, 98684 (Germany); Lukashevich, Mikhail V. [Institute of Mechanics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1, Michurinsky Pr., Moscow 119192 (Russian Federation); Stepanov, Gennadij V. [State Research Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Organoelement Compounds, 38, Shosse Entuziastov, Moscow 111123 (Russian Federation)

2007-04-15

The paper deals with the deformation and worm-like motion of a magnetizable elastic body in an alternate magnetic field from an experimental and a theoretically point of view. Theoretically (analytically and numerically) calculated results of the body velocity are compared with the experimental data.

Application of biomass for the sorption of radionuclides from low level Purex aqueous wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramanujam, A; Gopalakrishnan, V; Dhami, P S; Kannan, R [Fuel Reprocessing Div., Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India); Udupa, S R; Salvi, N A [Bio-Organic Div., Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

1997-05-01

Microbial biomass have been found to be good biological adsorbents for radioactive nuclides such as uranium and thorium with comparatively easy desorption and recovery. Based on this, sorption studies have been carried out to assess the feasibility of using biomass Rhizopus arrhizus (RA) for the removal of radionuclides present in Purex low level waste streams. Biomass Rhizopus arrhizus (RA) appears effective for the removal of actinides and fission products from low level Purex plant waste/effluent solutions. Maximum sorption for uranium and plutonium is observed at 6-7 pH whereas for Am, Eu, Pm, Ce and Zr the sorption is maximum at pH 2 with high D values and fast kinetics in both cases. Sorption for Ru and Cs are negligible. Sorbed nuclides are recoverable by elution with 1 M HNO{sub 3}, on once through basis. The method can be used for treating the evaporator condensates from the plant and the hold-up delay tank solution. The sodium nitrate salt concentration in the aqueous solution beyond 0.14 M seriously affects the metal uptake. The results from column experiments indicate a limited loading capacity in terms of mg of Am/U/Pu etc. per gm of RA. However, as the Purex low level effluents contain only trace level activities whose absolute ionic concentrations are much lower, the capacities observed with the present form of biomass may still be satisfactory. 15 refs., 12 tabs.

Major Biomass Conference

Science.gov (United States)

Top Scientists, Industry and Government Leaders to Gather for Major Biomass Conference America, South America and Europe will focus on building a sustainable, profitable biomass business at the Third Biomass Conference of the Americas in Montreal. Scheduled presentations will cover all biomass

The Schistosoma mansoni Cytochrome P450 (CYP3050A1 Is Essential for Worm Survival and Egg Development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter D Ziniel

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Schistosomiasis affects millions of people in developing countries and is responsible for more than 200,000 deaths annually. Because of toxicity and limited spectrum of activity of alternatives, there is effectively only one drug, praziquantel, available for its treatment. Recent data suggest that drug resistance could soon be a problem. There is therefore the need to identify new drug targets and develop drugs for the treatment of schistosomiasis. Analysis of the Schistosoma mansoni genome sequence for proteins involved in detoxification processes found that it encodes a single cytochrome P450 (CYP450 gene. Here we report that the 1452 bp open reading frame has a characteristic heme-binding region in its catalytic domain with a conserved heme ligating cysteine, a hydrophobic leader sequence present as the membrane interacting region, and overall structural conservation. The highest sequence identity to human CYP450s is 22%. Double stranded RNA (dsRNA silencing of S. mansoni (SmCYP450 in schistosomula results in worm death. Treating larval or adult worms with antifungal azole CYP450 inhibitors results in worm death at low micromolar concentrations. In addition, combinations of SmCYP450-specific dsRNA and miconazole show additive schistosomicidal effects supporting the hypothesis that SmCYP450 is the target of miconazole. Treatment of developing S. mansoni eggs with miconazole results in a dose dependent arrest in embryonic development. Our results indicate that SmCYP450 is essential for worm survival and egg development and validates it as a novel drug target. Preliminary structure-activity relationship suggests that the 1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl-2-(1H-imidazol-1-ylethan-1-ol moiety of miconazole is necessary for activity and that miconazole activity and selectivity could be improved by rational drug design.

Biomass treatment method

Science.gov (United States)

Friend, Julie; Elander, Richard T.; Tucker, III; Melvin P.; Lyons, Robert C.

2010-10-26

A method for treating biomass was developed that uses an apparatus which moves a biomass and dilute aqueous ammonia mixture through reaction chambers without compaction. The apparatus moves the biomass using a non-compressing piston. The resulting treated biomass is saccharified to produce fermentable sugars.

Liesegang rings in tissue. How to distinguish Liesegang rings from the giant kidney worm, Dioctophyma renale.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuur, S M; Nelson, A M; Gibson, D W; Neafie, R C; Johnson, F B; Mostofi, F K; Connor, D H

1987-08-01

Liesegang rings (LRs) are periodic precipitation zones from supersaturated solutions in colloidal systems. They are formed by a process that involves an interplay of diffusion, nucleation, flocculation or precipitation, and supersaturation. Examples include LRs of calcium carbonate in oölitic limestone (in nature), LRs of silver chromate in gelatin (in vitro), and LRs of glycoprotein in pulmonary corpora amylacea (in vivo). Here we describe LRs in lesions from 29 patients--mostly lesions of the kidney, synovium, conjunctiva, and eyelid. The LRs formed in cysts, or in fibrotic, inflamed, or necrotic tissue. The LRs in this study varied greatly in shape and size, measuring 7-800 microns. Special stains and energy-dispersive radiographic analysis or scanning electron microscopy revealed that some LRs contained calcium, iron (hemosiderin), silicon, and sulfur. Some pathologists have mistaken LRs for eggs, larvae, or adults of the giant kidney worm, Dioctophyma renale. D. renale is a large blood-red nematode that infects a variety of fish-eating mammals, especially mink. Fourteen documented infections of humans have been recorded, usually with adult worms expelled from the urethra. The adult worms are probably the largest helminth to parasitize humans. Eggs of D. renale are constant in size (60-80 microns X 39-47 microns), contain an embryo, and have characteristic sculpturing of the shell. Liesegang rings should not be mistaken for eggs, larvae, or adults of D. renale, or for any other helminth.

Timeline of bio-hydrogen production by anaerobic digestion of biomass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernadette E. TELEKY

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Anaerobic digestion of biomass is a process capable to produce biohydrogen, a clean source of alternative energy. Lignocellulosic biomass from agricultural waste is considered a renewable energy source; therefore its utilization also contributes to the reduction of water, soil and air pollution. The study consists in five consecutive experiments designed to utilize anaerobic bacterial enrichment cultures originating from the Hungarian Lake, Hévíz. Wheat straw was used as complex substrate to produce hydrogen. The timeline evolution of hydrogen production was analyzed and modelled by two functions: Logistic and Boltzmann. The results proved that hydrogen production is significant, with a maximum of 0.24 mlN/ml and the highest hydrogen production occurs between the days 4-10 of the experiment.

Quantifying biomass production in crops grown for energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bullard, M J; Christian, D; Wilkins, C

1997-12-31

One estimate suggests that continued CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) reform may lead to as much as 2 million hectares of land set aside from arable production by the year 2020 in the UK alone, with 20 million hectares in the EU in total. Set-aside currently occupies more than 500,000 hectares in the UK. Set-aside land is providing more opportunities for non-food crops, for example fuel crops, which provide biomass for energy. Whilst any crop species will produce biomass which can be burnt to produce energy, arable crops were not developed with this in mind but rather a specific harvestable commodity, e.g. grain, and therefore the total harvestable commodity is seldom maximised. The characteristics of an ideal fuel crop have been identified as: dry harvested material for efficient combustion; perennial growth to minimise establishment costs and lengthen the growing season; good disease resistance; efficient conversion of solar radiation to biomass energy; efficient use of nitrogen fertiliser (where required) and water; and yield close to the theoretical maximum. Miscanthus, a genus of Oriental and African C4 perennial grasses, has been identified as possessing the above characteristics. There may be other species, which, if not yielding quite as much biomass, have other characteristics of merit. This has led to the need to identify inherently productive species which are adapted to the UK, and to validate the productivity of species which have already been 'discovered'. (author)

Quantifying biomass production in crops grown for energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bullard, M.J.; Christian, D.; Wilkins, C.

1996-12-31

One estimate suggests that continued CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) reform may lead to as much as 2 million hectares of land set aside from arable production by the year 2020 in the UK alone, with 20 million hectares in the EU in total. Set-aside currently occupies more than 500,000 hectares in the UK. Set-aside land is providing more opportunities for non-food crops, for example fuel crops, which provide biomass for energy. Whilst any crop species will produce biomass which can be burnt to produce energy, arable crops were not developed with this in mind but rather a specific harvestable commodity, e.g. grain, and therefore the total harvestable commodity is seldom maximised. The characteristics of an ideal fuel crop have been identified as: dry harvested material for efficient combustion; perennial growth to minimise establishment costs and lengthen the growing season; good disease resistance; efficient conversion of solar radiation to biomass energy; efficient use of nitrogen fertiliser (where required) and water; and yield close to the theoretical maximum. Miscanthus, a genus of Oriental and African C4 perennial grasses, has been identified as possessing the above characteristics. There may be other species, which, if not yielding quite as much biomass, have other characteristics of merit. This has led to the need to identify inherently productive species which are adapted to the UK, and to validate the productivity of species which have already been 'discovered'. (author)

Photoautotrophic Production of Biomass, Laurate, and Soluble Organics by Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Binh Thanh

Photosynthesis converts sunlight to biomass at a global scale. Among the photosynthetic organisms, cyanobacteria provide an excellent model to study how photosynthesis can become a practical platform of large-scale biotechnology. One novel approach involves metabolically engineering the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to excrete laurate, which is harvested directly. This work begins by defining a working window of light intensity (LI). Wild-type and laurate-excreting Synechocystis required an LI of at least 5 muE/m2-s to sustain themselves, but are photo-inhibited by LI of 346 to 598 muE/m2-s. Fixing electrons into valuable organic products, e.g., biomass and excreted laurate, is critical to success. Wild-type Synechocystis channeled 75% to 84% of its fixed electrons to biomass; laurate-excreting Synechocystis fixed 64 to 69% as biomass and 6.6% to 10% as laurate. This means that 16 to 30% of the electrons were diverted to non-valuable soluble products, and the trend was accentuated with higher LI. How the Ci concentration depended on the pH and the nitrogen source was quantified by the proton condition and experimentally validated. Nitrate increased, ammonium decreased, but ammonium nitrate stabilized alkalinity and Ci. This finding provides a mechanistically sound tool to manage Ci and pH independently. Independent evaluation pH and Ci on the growth kinetics of Synechocystis showed that pH 8.5 supported the fastest maximum specific growth rate (mumax): 2.4/day and 1.7/day, respectively, for the wild type and modified strains with LI of 202 muE/m2-s. Half-maximum-rate concentrations (KCi) were less than 0.1 mM, meaning that Synechocystis should attain its mumax with a modest Ci concentration (≥1.0 mM). Biomass grown with day-night cycles had a night endogenous decay rate of 0.05-1.0/day, with decay being faster with higher LI and the beginning of dark periods. Supplying light at a fraction of daylight reduced dark decay rate and improved overall

Production of fungal biomass protein using microfungi from winery wastewater treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhan Ying; Jin, Bo; Bai, Zhi Hui; Wang, Xiao Yi

2008-06-01

This study was carried out to investigate the production of fungal biomass protein (FBP) in treatment of winery wastewater using microfungi. Three fungal strains, Trichoderma viride WEBL0702, Aspergillus niger WEBL0901 and Aspergillus oryzae WEBL0401, were selected in terms of microbial capability for FBP production and COD reduction. T. viride appeared to be the best strain for FBP production due to high productivity and less nitrogen requirement. More than 5 g/L of fungal biomass was produced in shake fermentation using T. viride without nitrogen addition, and by A. oryzae and A. niger with addition of 0.5-1.0 g/L (NH4)2SO4. The FBP production process corresponded to 84-90% COD reduction of winery wastewater. Fungal biomass contained approximately 36% protein produced by two Aspergillus strains, while biomass produced by T. viride consisted of 19.8% protein. Kinetic study indicated that maximum fungal cell growth could be achieved in 24h for T. viride and 48 h for A. oryzae and A. niger. Current results indicated that it could be feasible to develop a biotechnological treatment process integrated with FBP production from the winery waste streams.

In vitro anthelmintic activity of Heliotropium indicum, Senna fistula and Spigelia anthelmia used as worm expeller in South West Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oluwakemi K. Sobiyi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The anthelmintic potential of Heliotropium indicum, Senna fistula and Spigelia anthelmia were investigated using nematodes larvae from sheep and adult earthworms in order to justify the folkloric claim of the plants as worm expeller in south west of Nigeria. The acetone, ethanol, hydro-alcohol and distilled water extracts showed dose-dependent anthelmintic activities at the different concentrations (0.25, 0.50, 1.0 mg/ml when tested against nematodes larvae. The order of anthelmintic effect for the plants was H. indicum> S. fistula> S. anthelmia. Acetone and ethanol extracts of the three plants showed the most effective activity (100% mortality against adult earth worm (Pheretima posthuma after 30 min of exposure The reference standard drug (Vermox® showed less effectiveness compared to the medicinal plants used in the study. Overall, the study indicates that Heliotropium indicum, Senna fistula and Spigelia anthelmia are potential anthelmintic herbal drugs, which in turn validates the use of the three species as worm expellers by the Yorubas tribe of South West Nigeria.

Biomass Energy Basics | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Biomass Energy Basics Biomass Energy Basics We have used biomass energy, or "bioenergy" keep warm. Wood is still the largest biomass energy resource today, but other sources of biomass can landfills (which are methane, the main component in natural gas) can be used as a biomass energy source. A

Eutrophication effects on phytoplankton size-fractioned biomass and production at a tropical estuary.

Science.gov (United States)

Guenther, Mariana; Araújo, Moacyr; Flores-Montes, Manuel; Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Eliane; Neumann-Leitão, Sigrid

2015-02-28

Size-fractioned phytoplankton (pico, nano and microplankton) biomass and production were estimated throughout a year at Recife harbor (NE Brazil), a shallow well mixed tropical hypereutrophic estuary with short residence times but restricted water renewal. Intense loads of P-PO4 (maximum 14 μM) resulted in low N:P ratios (around 2:1), high phytoplankton biomass (B=7.1-72 μg chl-a L(-1)), production (PP=10-2657 μg C L(-1) h(-1)) and photosynthetic efficiency (P(B)=0.5-45 μg C μg chl-a(-1)), but no oxygen depletion (average O2 saturation: 109.6%). Nanoplankton dominated phytoplankton biomass (66%) but micro- and nanoplankton performed equivalent primary production rates (47% each). Production-biomass models indicate an export of the exceeding microplankton biomass during most of the year, possibly through grazing. The intense and constant nutrient and organic matter loading at Recife harbor is thus supporting the high microplankton productivity that is not accumulating on the system nor contributing to oxygen depletion, but supporting the whole system's trophic web. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid bioassessment methods for assessing the toxicity of terrestrial waste sites at the Savannah River Site using the earthworm, Eisenia foetida

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Specht, W.L.

1995-08-01

Studies were conducted to assess the feasibility of using the earthworm, Eisenia foetida, to evaluate the toxicity of contaminated soils at the Savannah River Site. Survival was assessed in several uncontaminated soils, including sandy loams and clayey loams, as well as in soils contaminated with coal fines, ash, diesel fuel, and heavy metals. In addition, behavior responses, changes in biomass, and bioaccumulation of heavy metals were assessed as sublethal indicators of toxicity. The results indicate excellent survival of Eisenia foetida in uncontaminated sandy and clayey soils. No amendment of these uncontaminated soils or addition of food was necessary to sustain the worms for the 14-day test period. In contaminated soils, no significant mortality was observed, except in soils which have very low pH (< 3). However, sublethal responses were observed in earthworms exposed to several of the contaminated soils. These responses included worms clumping on the surface of the soil, worms clumping between the sides of the test container and the soil, increased burrowing times, reductions in biomass, and elevated concentrations of heavy metals in worm tissue

Lag phase and biomass determination of Rhodococcus pyridinivorans GM3 for degradation of phenol

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Defiery, M. E. J.; Reddy, G.

2018-05-01

Among various techniques available for removal of phenol, biodegradation is an eco-friendly and cost effective method. Thus, it is required to understand the process of biodegradation of phenol, such as investigate on lag phase and biomass concentration. Phenol degrading bacteria were isolated from soil samples of industrial sites in enriched mineral salts medium (MSM) with phenol as a sole source of energy and carbon. One isolate of potential phenol degradation from consortium for phenol degrading studies was identified as Rhodococcus pyridinivorans GM3. Lag phase and biomass determination of R. pyridinivorans GM3 was studied with different phenol concentrations under pH 8.5 at temperature 32 Co and 200 rpm. Microbial biomass was directly proportional to increasing phenol concentration between 1.0 to 2.0 g/L with a maximum dry biomass of 1.745 g/L was noted after complete degradation of 2.0 g/L phenol in 48 hours.

Antigens of worms and eggs showed a differentiated detection of specific IgG according to the time of Schistosoma mansoni infection in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafaella Fortini Queiroz Grenfell

2012-08-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The correlation between the immunological assay and the antibody titer can offer a tool for the experimental analysis of different phases of the disease. METHODS: Two simple immunological assays for Schistosoma mansoni in mice sera samples based on specific IgG detection for worms soluble antigens and eggs soluble antigens were standardized and evaluated in our laboratory. Fifty mice were used in negative and positive groups and the results obtained by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA assays were compared with the number of worms counted and the IgG titers at different times of infection. RESULTS: Data showed that ELISA using adult worm antigens (ELISA-SWAP presented a satisfactory correlation between the absorbance value of IgG titers and the individual number of worms counted after perfusion technique (R²=0.62. In addition, ELISA-SWAP differentially detected positive samples with 30 and 60 days post infection (p=0.011 and 0.003, respectively, whereas ELISA using egg antigens (ELISA-SEA detected samples after 140 days (p=0.03. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that the use of different antigens in immunological methods can be used as potential tools for the analysis of the chronological evolution of S. mansoni infection in murine schistosomiasis. Correlations with human schistosomiasis are discussed.

A tropospheric ozone maximum over the equatorial Southern Indian Ocean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Zhang

2012-05-01

Full Text Available We examine the distribution of tropical tropospheric ozone (O₃ from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS and the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES by using a global three-dimensional model of tropospheric chemistry (GEOS-Chem. MLS and TES observations of tropospheric O₃ during 2005 to 2009 reveal a distinct, persistent O₃ maximum, both in mixing ratio and tropospheric column, in May over the Equatorial Southern Indian Ocean (ESIO. The maximum is most pronounced in 2006 and 2008 and less evident in the other three years. This feature is also consistent with the total column O₃ observations from the Ozone Mapping Instrument (OMI and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS. Model results reproduce the observed May O₃ maximum and the associated interannual variability. The origin of the maximum reflects a complex interplay of chemical and dynamic factors. The O₃ maximum is dominated by the O₃ production driven by lightning nitrogen oxides (NO_x emissions, which accounts for 62% of the tropospheric column O₃ in May 2006. We find the contribution from biomass burning, soil, anthropogenic and biogenic sources to the O₃ maximum are rather small. The O₃ productions in the lightning outflow from Central Africa and South America both peak in May and are directly responsible for the O₃ maximum over the western ESIO. The lightning outflow from Equatorial Asia dominates over the eastern ESIO. The interannual variability of the O₃ maximum is driven largely by the anomalous anti-cyclones over the southern Indian Ocean in May 2006 and 2008. The lightning outflow from Central Africa and South America is effectively entrained by the anti-cyclones followed by northward transport to the ESIO.

Biomass CCS study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cavezzali, S.

2009-11-15

The use of biomass in power generation is one of the important ways in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, the cofiring of biomass with coal could be regarded as a common feature to any new build power plant if a sustainable supply of biomass fuel is readily accessible. IEA GHG has undertaken a techno-economic evaluation of the use of biomass in biomass fired and co-fired power generation, using post-combustion capture technology. This report is the result of the study undertaken by Foster Wheeler Italiana.

Biomass pretreatment

Science.gov (United States)

Hennessey, Susan Marie; Friend, Julie; Elander, Richard T; Tucker, III, Melvin P

2013-05-21

A method is provided for producing an improved pretreated biomass product for use in saccharification followed by fermentation to produce a target chemical that includes removal of saccharification and or fermentation inhibitors from the pretreated biomass product. Specifically, the pretreated biomass product derived from using the present method has fewer inhibitors of saccharification and/or fermentation without a loss in sugar content.

Energy analysis of Organic Rankine Cycles for biomass applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Algieri Angelo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper aims at analysing the performances of Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs adopted for the exploitation of the biomass resulting from the pruning residues in a 3000 hectares district in Southern Italy. A parametric energy analysis has been carried out to define the influence of the main plant operating conditions. To this purpose, both subcritical and transcritical power plants have been examined and saturated and superheated conditions at the turbine inlet have been imposed. Moreover, the effect of the working fluid, condensation temperature, and internal regeneration on system performances has been investigated. The results show that ORC plants represent an interesting and sustainable solution for decentralised and small-scale power production. Furthermore, the analysis highlights the significant impact of the maximum temperature and the noticeable effect of internal regeneration on the performances of the biomass power plants.

Online decision trees to support the control of gastrointestinal worms in ruminants

OpenAIRE

Koopmann, Regine; Dämmrich, Michaela; Ploeger, Harm

2014-01-01

Control of gastrointestinal worms is crucial to any pasture system for ruminants. To support the farmer's foresighted planning of pasturage and to avoid excessive deworm-ing in Germany we created four decision trees and put them online. They are freely accessible at www.weide-parasiten.de. There is one decision tree for young first season cattle in intensive dairy husbandry, one decision tree for young cattle in suckling-cow management and one decision tree for sheep and goats, respectively.

Scaling-up the biomass production of Cymbopogon citratus L. in temporary immersion system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisa Quiala

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Shoot-tips, collected from greenhouse-grown plants of Cymbopogon citratus L. (lemmon grass, were incubated on a semi-solid Murashige and Skoog (MS medium with 30% (w/v sucrose, and supplemented with 0.89 µM 6-benzyladenine (BA. After three weeks of culture shoots were individualized and then inoculated in 10 litres temporary immersion system (TIS containing 3 litres of the same basal MS liquid medium. The effects of three immersion frequency (immersion every 12, 6 and 4 hours on the production of biomass were studied. Three inoculum densities (forty, fifty and sixty shoots/TIS were also tested. The biomass growth was inûuenced by the immersion frequency. The highest proliferation rate (17.3 shoots/explants and the plant length (45.2 cm were obtained in plants immersed every 4 h. Also, the fresh and dry biomass weight (153.4 gFW and 24.8 gDW, respectively were higher in this treatment. The maximum biomass accumulation (185.2 gFW and 35.2 gDW was achieved after 30 days of culture when an inoculum density of 60 explants per TIS was used. For the first time, biomass of C. citratus has been produced in10 litres TIS. These results represent the first step in the scaling-up the biomass production of this medicinal plant in large temporary immersion bioreactors. Key words: automation, biomass growth, lemmon grass medicinal plant, tissue culture

Analysis and testing of model worm type tanks on shaking table

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, D.

1996-01-01

This report contains the summary of the lectures, notes and discussions at the IAEA workshop on Benchmark studies for seismic analysis of WWER NPPs, held in 1995 at St. Petersburg. The specific subject of main interest at the meeting was the testing of unanchored worm-type tanks in the emergency cooling systems of WWER-440/213 NPPs such as Paks and Bohunice. Seismic forces were not considered in the original design, therefore this is one of the important tasks in the assessment of seismic vulnerabilities of the WWER NPPs

Diversity and Activity of Insect Natural Enemies of the Bag worm (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) within an Oil Palm Plantation in Perak, Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norman Kamarudin; Othman Arshad

2016-01-01

Bag worms (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) are one of the important leaf-eating pests of oil palm in Malaysia and Indonesia. Crop losses, due to the extensive defoliation by a serious bag worm attack are inevitable. The establishment and propagation of the bag worm's parasitoids, depend very much on species of flowering plants as sources of nectar. Cassia cobanensis, was proven suitable due to its attractiveness to most bag worm parasitoids. A study to assess the diversity of bag worm's natural enemies (hymenopterous parasitoids and reduuvid predatory bugs) on the C. cobanensis plant and within the undergrowth of the oil palm planting block was evaluated by sweep net and sticky trap sampling. Environmental parameters such as light intensity, temperature and relative humidity were also recorded during the sampling to determine their possible range of influence towards the activity of the insect natural enemies. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index of insect natural enemies occurring on the C. cobanensis plant was 2.32. Among the dominant parasitoids observed on C. cobanensis plants are chalcids (Brachymeria lugubris and Brachymeria carinata) and braconids (Dolichogenidea metesae and Apanteles aluella), besides the reduuvid predator, Cosmolestes picticeps. In contrast, within the oil palm planting block, the undergrowth within the non-harvesting path only recorded a much lower diversity index of 1.09 and 1.12 each, in a block with C. cobanensis at the roadside and without, respectively. However, C. picticeps was shown to be much more dominant within both oil palm planting blocks, up to two- to three-fold, with much lesser numbers of hymenopterous parasitoids (less than five individuals). This indicates the important contribution of C. cobanensis plant towards enriching the diversity of the parasitoids, which are normally not found within the oil palm block, due to much less intense sunlight. In terms of insect activity, they are significantly more active in the

Methods for pretreating biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Balan, Venkatesh; Dale, Bruce E; Chundawat, Shishir; Sousa, Leonardo

2017-05-09

A method for pretreating biomass is provided, which includes, in a reactor, allowing gaseous ammonia to condense on the biomass and react with water present in the biomass to produce pretreated biomass, wherein reactivity of polysaccharides in the biomass is increased during subsequent biological conversion as compared to the reactivity of polysaccharides in biomass which has not been pretreated. A method for pretreating biomass with a liquid ammonia and recovering the liquid ammonia is also provided. Related systems which include a biochemical or biofuel production facility are also disclosed.

Evaluation of total aboveground biomass and total merchantable biomass in Missouri

Science.gov (United States)

Michael E. Goerndt; David R. Larsen; Charles D. Keating

2014-01-01

In recent years, the state of Missouri has been converting to biomass weight rather than volume as the standard measurement of wood for buying and selling sawtimber. Therefore, there is a need to identify accurate and precise methods of estimating whole tree biomass and merchantable biomass of harvested trees as well as total standing biomass of live timber for...

DUE GlobBiomass - Estimates of Biomass on a Global Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Eberle, J.; Schmullius, C.

2017-12-01

For the last three years, a new ESA Data User Element (DUE) project had focussed on creating improved knowledge about the Essential Climate Variable Biomass. The main purpose of the DUE GlobBiomass project is to better characterize and to reduce uncertainties of AGB estimates by developing an innovative synergistic mapping approach in five regional sites (Sweden, Poland, Mexico, Kalimantan, South Africa) for the epochs 2005, 2010 and 2015 and for one global map for the year 2010. The project team includes leading Earth Observation experts of Europe and is linked through Partnership Agreements with further national bodies from Brazil, Canada, China, Russia and South Africa. GlobBiomass has demonstrated how EO observation data can be integrated with in situ measurements and ecological understanding to provide improved biomass estimates that can be effectively exploited by users. The target users had mainly be drawn from the climate and carbon cycle modelling communities and included users concerned with carbon emissions and uptake due to biomass changes within initiatives such as REDD+. GlobBiomass provided a harmonised structure that can be exploited to address user needs for biomass information, but will be capable of being progressively refined as new data and methods become available. This presentation will give an overview of the technical prerequisites and final results of the GlobBiomass project.

Evaluating the sustainability, scalability, and replicability of an STH transmission interruption intervention: The DeWorm3 implementation science protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Ajjampur, Sitara S. R.; Bailey, Robin; Galactionova, Katya; Gwayi-Chore, Marie-Claire; Halliday, Katherine; Ibikounle, Moudachirou; Juvekar, Sanjay; Kalua, Khumbo; Kang, Gagandeep; Lele, Pallavi; Luty, Adrian J. F.; Pullan, Rachel; Sarkar, Rajiv; Schär, Fabian; Tediosi, Fabrizio; Weiner, Bryan J.; Yard, Elodie; Walson, Judd

2018-01-01

Hybrid trials that include both clinical and implementation science outcomes are increasingly relevant for public health researchers that aim to rapidly translate study findings into evidence-based practice. The DeWorm3 Project is a series of hybrid trials testing the feasibility of interrupting the transmission of soil transmitted helminths (STH), while conducting implementation science research that contextualizes clinical research findings and provides guidance on opportunities to optimize delivery of STH interventions. The purpose of DeWorm3 implementation science studies is to ensure rapid and efficient translation of evidence into practice. DeWorm3 will use stakeholder mapping to identify individuals who influence or are influenced by school-based or community-wide mass drug administration (MDA) for STH and to evaluate network dynamics that may affect study outcomes and future policy development. Individual interviews and focus groups will generate the qualitative data needed to identify factors that shape, contextualize, and explain DeWorm3 trial outputs and outcomes. Structural readiness surveys will be used to evaluate the factors that drive health system readiness to implement novel interventions, such as community-wide MDA for STH, in order to target change management activities and identify opportunities for sustaining or scaling the intervention. Process mapping will be used to understand what aspects of the intervention are adaptable across heterogeneous implementation settings and to identify contextually-relevant modifiable bottlenecks that may be addressed to improve the intervention delivery process and to achieve intervention outputs. Lastly, intervention costs and incremental cost-effectiveness will be evaluated to compare the efficiency of community-wide MDA to standard-of-care targeted MDA both over the duration of the trial and over a longer elimination time horizon. PMID:29346376

Vermicomposting of source-separated human faeces by Eisenia fetida: effect of stocking density on feed consumption rate, growth characteristics and vermicompost production.

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Kunwar D; Tare, Vinod; Ahammed, M Mansoor

2011-06-01

The main objective of the present study was to determine the optimum stocking density for feed consumption rate, biomass growth and reproduction of earthworm Eisenia fetida as well as determining and characterising vermicompost quantity and product, respectively, during vermicomposting of source-separated human faeces. For this, a number of experiments spanning up to 3 months were conducted using soil and vermicompost as support materials. Stocking density in the range of 0.25-5.00 kg/m(2) was employed in different tests. The results showed that 0.40-0.45 kg-feed/kg-worm/day was the maximum feed consumption rate by E. fetida in human faeces. The optimum stocking densities were 3.00 kg/m(2) for bioconversion of human faeces to vermicompost, and 0.50 kg/m(2) for earthworm biomass growth and reproduction. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lipase Production in Solid-State Fermentation Monitoring Biomass Growth of Aspergillus niger Using Digital Image Processing

Science.gov (United States)

Dutra, Julio C. V.; da Terzi, Selma C.; Bevilaqua, Juliana Vaz; Damaso, Mônica C. T.; Couri, Sônia; Langone, Marta A. P.; Senna, Lilian F.

The aim of this study was to monitor the biomass growth of Aspergillus niger in solid-state fermentation (SSF) for lipase production using digital image processing technique. The strain A. niger 11T53A14 was cultivated in SSF using wheat bran as support, which was enriched with 0.91% (m/v) of ammonium sulfate. The addition of several vegetable oils (castor, soybean, olive, corn, and palm oils) was investigated to enhance lipase production. The maximum lipase activity was obtained using 2% (m/m) castor oil. In these conditions, the growth was evaluated each 24 h for 5 days by the glycosamine content analysis and digital image processing. Lipase activity was also determined. The results indicated that the digital image process technique can be used to monitor biomass growth in a SSF process and to correlate biomass growth and enzyme activity. In addition, the immobilized esterification lipase activity was determined for the butyl oleate synthesis, with and without 50% v/v hexane, resulting in 650 and 120 U/g, respectively. The enzyme was also used for transesterification of soybean oil and ethanol with maximum yield of 2.4%, after 30 min of reaction.

Lipase production in solid-state fermentation monitoring biomass growth of aspergillus niger using digital image processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutra, Júlio C V; da C Terzi, Selma; Bevilaqua, Juliana Vaz; Damaso, Mônica C T; Couri, Sônia; Langone, Marta A P; Senna, Lilian F

2008-03-01

The aim of this study was to monitor the biomass growth of Aspergillus niger in solid-state fermentation (SSF) for lipase production using digital image processing technique. The strain A. niger 11T53A14 was cultivated in SSF using wheat bran as support, which was enriched with 0.91% (m/v) of ammonium sulfate. The addition of several vegetable oils (castor, soybean, olive, corn, and palm oils) was investigated to enhance lipase production. The maximum lipase activity was obtained using 2% (m/m) castor oil. In these conditions, the growth was evaluated each 24 h for 5 days by the glycosamine content analysis and digital image processing. Lipase activity was also determined. The results indicated that the digital image process technique can be used to monitor biomass growth in a SSF process and to correlate biomass growth and enzyme activity. In addition, the immobilized esterification lipase activity was determined for the butyl oleate synthesis, with and without 50% v/v hexane, resulting in 650 and 120 U/g, respectively. The enzyme was also used for transesterification of soybean oil and ethanol with maximum yield of 2.4%, after 30 min of reaction.

Biomass torrefaction mill

Science.gov (United States)

Sprouse, Kenneth M.

2016-05-17

A biomass torrefaction system includes a mill which receives a raw biomass feedstock and operates at temperatures above 400 F (204 C) to generate a dusty flue gas which contains a milled biomass product.

Prevalence of giant kidney worm (Dioctophyma renale) in wild mink (Mustela vison) in Minnesota

Science.gov (United States)

Mech, L. David; Tracy, Shawn P.

2001-01-01

Of 138 wild mink (Mustela vison) from eastern Minnesota, 27% contained Dioctophyma renale, primarily in the right kidney. No significant difference between prevalence in adult male and immature male mink was found, nor between the prevalence in males versus female mink. Thirteen worms were found in one male mink, representing the highest documented infection intensity of a single wild mink.

Smart worm-like micelles responsive to CO2/N2 and light dual stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jianzhong; Wang, Guozheng; Ma, Yuxuan; Cui, Zhenggang; Binks, Bernard P

2017-04-12

CO 2 /N 2 and light dual stimuli-responsive worm-like micelles (WLMs) were obtained by addition of a relatively small amount of a switchable surfactant, 4-butyl-4'-(4-N,N-dimethylhexyloxy-amine) azobenzene bicarbonate (AZO-B6-CO 2 ), sensitive to the same triggers to a binary aqueous solution of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium salicylate (NaSal).

Elimination of Guinea Worm Disease in Ethiopia; Current Status of the Disease's, Eradication Strategies and Challenges to the End Game.

Science.gov (United States)

Beyene, Habtamu Bedimo; Bekele, Abyot; Shifara, Amanu; Ebstie, Yehenew A; Desalegn, Zelalem; Kebede, Zeyede; Mulugeta, Abate; Deribe, Kebede; Tadesse, Zerihun; Abebe, Tamrat; Kebede, Biruck; Abrha, Getaneh; Jima, Daddi

2017-01-01

Dracunculiasis, also named Guinea Worm Disease (GWD), is one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) caused by a parasitic nematode known as Dracunculus medinensis and has been known since antiquity as 'fiery serpent' from Israelites. It is transmitted to humans via drinking contaminated water containing infective copepods. Given, its feasibility for eradication, the Guinea Worm Eradication Program (GWEP) was launched in 1980 with the aim of eradicating the disease. Since its inception, GWEP has made an extraordinary progress in interrupting transmission. Globally, the number of reported cases reduced from 3.5 million in 20 countries in 1986 to only 22 cases in 2015 from only four countries namely South Sudan, Mali, Chad and Ethiopia. Since Mali has interrupted transmission of GWD in 2016, currently, the disease remains endemic in only three sub-Saharan African countries namely, South Sudan, Chad and Ethiopia. Each endemic country has its own national Guinea Worm Eradication Program. In Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Dracunculiasis Eradication Program (EDEP) which was established in 1993 has made remarkable move towards interruption of disease transmission and now the endgame is fast approaching. The EDEP with support mainly from The Carter Center, WHO, and UNICEF has reduced GWD by more than 99% from 1994 to 2015. In 2015, only 3 indigenous cases in humans and 14 in animals (13 in dogs and 1 in baboon) were reported. In 2016, 3 human cases, 14 dogs and 2 baboon infections were reported.. Refugee influx from the Republic of South Sudan (RSS), increased animal infections with unknown role in transmission of Dracunculiasis, the presence of hard to reach communities and lack of safe water sources in remote non-village areas remain among important challenges at this final stage of GWD eradication in Ethiopia. This paper reviews progress made towards Guinea Worm Eradication with a focus on the experience of the Ethiopian Dracunculiasis Eradication Program (EDEP), and

Worm Control in Livestock: Bringing Science to the Field.

Science.gov (United States)

Kenyon, Fiona; Hutchings, Fiona; Morgan-Davies, Claire; van Dijk, Jan; Bartley, Dave J

2017-09-01

Parasitic roundworm infections are ubiquitous in grazing livestock. Chemical control through the frequent 'blanket' administration of anthelmintics (wormers) has been, and remains, the cornerstone in controlling these infections, but this practice is unsustainable. Alternative strategies are available but, even with the plethora of best practice advice available, have yet to be integrated into routine farming practice. This is probably due to a range of factors, including contradictory advice from different sources, changes to advice following increased scientific understanding, and top-down knowledge exchange patterns. In this article, we discuss the worm control options available, the translation of new best practice advice from science bench to field, and ideas for future work and directions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Helminthic therapy: using worms to treat immune-mediated disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott, David E; Weinstock, Joel V

2009-01-01

There is an epidemic of immune-mediated disease in highly-developed industrialized countries. Such diseases, like inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and asthma increase in prevalence as populations adopt modern hygienic practices. These practices prevent exposure to parasitic worms (helminths). Epidemiologic studies suggest that people who carry helminths have less immune-mediated disease. Mice colonized with helminths are protected from disease in models of colitis, encephalitis, Type 1 diabetes and asthma. Clinical trials show that exposure to helminths reduce disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. This chapter reviews some of the work showing that colonization with helminths alters immune responses, against dysregulated inflammation. These helminth-host immune interactions have potentially important implications for the treatment of immune-mediated diseases.

Unravelling biocomplexity of electroactive biofilms for producing hydrogen from biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, Alex J. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Education; Campa, Maria F. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Education; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Inst. for Secure and Sustainable Environments; Hazen, Terry C. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Education; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Inst. for Secure and Sustainable Environments; Borole, Abhijeet P. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Education; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Inst. for Secure and Sustainable Environments

2017-07-11

Nature recruits various types of microbes to transform its waste products into reusable building blocks. In order to develop engineered systems to enable humans to generate useful products from complex sources such as biomass, a better understanding of the synergy between microbial species is necessary. Here we investigate a bioelectrochemical system for conversion of a complex biomass-derived pyrolysis stream into hydrogen via microbial electrolysis. Interaction between the exoelectrogens and fermentative organisms is key in this process. Comparing bioelectroconversion of a switchgrass-derived bio-oil aqueous phase (BOAP) with a model exoelectrogenic substrate, acetic acid, we demonstrate that fermentative breakdown of BOAP to acetate is the limiting step in the syntophic conversion process. The anode microbial community displayed simultaneous conversion of sugar derivatives, phenolic compounds, carboxylic acids, etc. present in BOAP, but at differing rates through division of labor and syntrophic exchange. Maximum removal for BOAP reached 43 mg COD/h vs. 59 mg COD/h for pure acetic acid. Furthermore, maximum hydrogen production for BOAP reached 11 L/L-d vs. 35 L/L-day for pure acetic acid. Coulombic efficiency for both substrates was >80%. Unpoising of the anode haulted exoelectrogenesis and allowed fermentative processes to proceed resulting in acetic acid accumulation at the rate of 8.4 mg/h. Coupled to the simultaneous conversion of compounds present within BOAP, these results support the division of labor and syntrophic interactions suggested here. The hydrogen productivity is the highest achieved to date for a biomass-derived stream. The exoelectrogenic rates achieved signify that commercial feasibility can be achieved if fermentative rates can be improved.

Anthelmintic Activity of Crude Extract and Essential Oil of Tanacetum vulgare (Asteraceae against Adult Worms of Schistosoma mansoni

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Loyana Silva Godinho

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease caused by trematode flatworms of the genus Schistosoma, affects more than 200 million people worldwide, and its control is dependent on a single drug, praziquantel. Tanacetum vulgare (Asteraceae is used in folk medicine as a vermifuge. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro schistosomicidal activity of the crude extract (TV and the essential oil (TV-EO from the aerial parts of T. vulgare. TV-EO was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/MS, which allowed the identification of β-thujone (84.13% as the major constituent. TV and TV-EO, at 200 μg/mL, decreased motor activity and caused 100% mortality of all adult worms. At 100 and 50 μg/mL, only TV caused death of all adult worms, while TV-EO was inactive. TV (200 μg/mL was also able to reduce viability and decrease production of developed eggs. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed morphological alterations in the tegument of the S. mansoni surface after incubation with TV (50 and 100 μg/mL. Quantitative analysis on the schistosomes tegument showed that TV caused changes in the numbers of tubercles of S. mansoni male worms in a dose-dependent manner. The findings suggest that T. vulgare is a potential source of schistosomicidal compounds.

Relationship to reducing sugar production and scanning electron microscope structure to pretreated hemp hurd biomass (Cannabis sativa)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abraham, Reinu E.; Barrow, Colin J.; Puri, Munish

2013-01-01

Lignocellulosic biomass is a highly rigid and recalcitrant structure which requires pretreatment to loosen chemical bonds to make accessible monomeric sugars for biofuel production. In this study, locally available biomass, that is hemp (Cannabis sativa), a low cost feedstock for ethanol production, has been used for the production of fermentable sugars. Hemp hurd biomass (HHB) was exposed to five different pretreatments which included dilute acid (H 2 SO 4 ), alkaline (NaOH), alkaline peroxide, hot water and one stage dilute acid (H 2 SO 4 ). Different pretreatments resulted in loosening and degradation of HHB structure thus facilitating enzymatic saccharification at optimized parameters (pH–4.8 and 50 °C). The changes in the reactive groups (hydroxyl or acetyl) of the HHB were confirmed by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to characterize the surface morphology of untreated and treated HHB. Finally, enzymatic saccharification demonstrated maximum yield of total sugars (743 mg g −1 ) that are suitable for biofuel production. -- Highlights: • Hemp hurd biomass (HHB) was used for producing fermentable sugars. • Alkaline pretreatment resulted in loosening and degradation of hemp structure. • Pretreated HHB was characterized using FTIR studies. • SEM studies evaluated the opening of fiber bundles in pretreatment, thereby increasing cellulose access to enzymes. • Enzymatic saccharification of pretreated HHB demonstrated maximum yield of reducing sugars

Methods for producing and using densified biomass products containing pretreated biomass fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Dale, Bruce E.; Ritchie, Bryan; Marshall, Derek

2015-05-26

A process is provided comprising subjecting a quantity of plant biomass fibers to a pretreatment to cause at least a portion of lignin contained within each fiber to move to an outer surface of said fiber, wherein a quantity of pretreated tacky plant biomass fibers is produced; and densifying the quantity of pretreated tacky plant biomass fibers to produce one or more densified biomass particulates, wherein said biomass fibers are densified without using added binder.

Carbon-to-nitrogen ratio affects the biomass composition and the fatty acid profile of heterotrophically grown Chlorella sp. TISTR 8990 for biodiesel production.

Science.gov (United States)

Singhasuwan, Somruethai; Choorit, Wanna; Sirisansaneeyakul, Sarote; Kokkaew, Nakhon; Chisti, Yusuf

2015-12-20

Chlorella sp. TISTR 8990 was cultivated heterotrophically in media with various initial carbon-to-nitrogen ratios (C/N ratio) and at different agitation speeds. The production of the biomass, its total fatty acid content and the composition of the fatty acids were affected by the C/N ratio, but not by agitation speed in the range examined. The biomass production was maximized at a C/N mass ratio of 29:1. At this C/N ratio, the biomass productivity was 0.68gL(-1)d(-1), or nearly 1.6-fold the best attainable productivity in photoautotrophic growth. The biomass yield coefficient on glucose was 0.62gg(-1) during exponential growth. The total fatty acids (TFAs) in the freeze-dried biomass were maximum (459mgg(-1)) at a C/N ratio of 95:1. Lower values of the C/N ratio reduced the fatty acid content of the biomass. The maximum productivity of TFAs (186mgL(-1)d(-1)) occurred at C/N ratios of 63:1 and higher. At these conditions, the fatty acids were mostly of the polyunsaturated type. Allowing the alga to remain in the stationary phase for a prolonged period after N-depletion, reduced the level of monounsaturated fatty acids and the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids increased. Biotin supplementation of the culture medium reduced the biomass productivity relative to biotin-free control, but had no effect on the total fatty acid content of the biomass. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Infection levels of the eyeworm Oxyspirura petrowi and caecal worm Aulonocephalus pennula in the northern bobwhite and scaled quail from the Rolling Plains of Texas.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunham, N R; Peper, S T; Downing, C; Brake, E; Rollins, D; Kendall, R J

2017-09-01

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) have experienced chronic declines within the Rolling Plains ecoregion of Texas. Parasitic infection, which has long been dismissed as a problem in quail, has not been studied thoroughly until recently. A total of 219 northern bobwhite and 101 scaled quail from Mitchell County, Texas were captured and donated from 2014 to 2015, and examined for eyeworm (Oxyspirura petrowi) and caecal worm (Aulonocephalus pennula) infections. In 2014, bobwhites averaged 19.6 ± 1.8 eyeworms and 98.6 ± 8.2 caecal worms, and 23.5 ± 2.1 eyeworms and 129.9 ± 10.7 caecal worms in 2015. Scaled quail averaged 4.8 ± 1.0 eyeworms and 50 ± 6.8 caecal worms in 2014, and 5.7 ± 1.3 eyeworms and 38.1 ± 7.1 caecal worms in 2015. This study expands the knowledge of parasitic infection in quail inhabiting the Rolling Plains of Texas. A significant difference was documented in O. petrowi infection between species but there was no significant difference in A. pennula between quail species. No significant difference was detected in parasite infection between the sexes of both northern bobwhite and scaled quail. This study also documented the highest reported O. petrowi infection in both species of quail. Additional research is needed on the life history and infection dynamics of O. petrowi and A. pennula infections to determine if there are individual- and/or population-level implications due to parasitic infection.

Acid-functionalized nanoparticles for biomass hydrolysis

Science.gov (United States)

Pena Duque, Leidy Eugenia

the catalytic reactions. PS nanoparticles were further evaluated for the pretreatment of corn stover in order to increase digestibility of the biomass. The pretreatment was carried out at three different catalyst load and temperature levels. At 180°C, the total glucose yield was linearly correlated to the catalyst load. A maximum glucose yield of 90% and 58% of the hemicellulose sugars were obtained at this temperature.

Design of Biomass Combined Heat and Power (CHP Systems based on Economic Risk using Minimax Regret Criterion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ling Wen Choong

2018-01-01

Full Text Available It is a great challenge to identify optimum technologies for CHP systems that utilise biomass and convert it into heat and power. In this respect, industry decision makers are lacking in confidence to invest in biomass CHP due to economic risk from varying energy demand. This research work presents a linear programming systematic framework to design biomass CHP system based on potential loss of profit due to varying energy demand. Minimax Regret Criterion (MRC approach was used to assess maximum regret between selections of the given biomass CHP design based on energy demand. Based on this, the model determined an optimal biomass CHP design with minimum regret in economic opportunity. As Feed-in Tariff (FiT rates affects the revenue of the CHP plant, sensitivity analysis was then performed on FiT rates on the selection of biomass CHP design. Besides, design analysis on the trend of the optimum design selected by model was conducted. To demonstrate the proposed framework in this research, a case study was solved using the proposed approach. The case study focused on designing a biomass CHP system for a palm oil mill (POM due to large energy potential of oil palm biomass in Malaysia.

The landscape of human genes involved in the immune response to parasitic worms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fumagalli Matteo

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background More than 2 billion individuals worldwide suffer from helminth infections. The highest parasite burdens occur in children and helminth infection during pregnancy is a risk factor for preterm delivery and reduced birth weight. Therefore, helminth infections can be regarded as a strong selective pressure. Results Here we propose that candidate susceptibility genes for parasitic worm infections can be identified by searching for SNPs that display a strong correlation with the diversity of helminth species/genera transmitted in different geographic areas. By a genome-wide search we identified 3478 variants that correlate with helminth diversity. These SNPs map to 810 distinct human genes including loci involved in regulatory T cell function and in macrophage activation, as well as leukocyte integrins and co-inhibitory molecules. Analysis of functional relationships among these genes identified complex interaction networks centred around Th2 cytokines. Finally, several genes carrying candidate targets for helminth-driven selective pressure also harbour susceptibility alleles for asthma/allergy or are involved in airway hyper-responsiveness, therefore expanding the known parallelism between these conditions and parasitic infections. Conclusions Our data provide a landscape of human genes that modulate susceptibility to helminths and indicate parasitic worms as one of the major selective forces in humans.

The biomass file

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

As biomass represents the main source of renewable energy to reach the 23 per cent objective in terms of energy consumption by 2020, a first article gives a synthetic overview of its definition, its origins, its possible uses, its share in the French energy mix, its role by 2020, strengths and weaknesses for its development, the growth potential of its market, and its implications in terms of employment. A second article outlines the assets of biomass, indicates the share of some crops in biomass energy production, and discusses the development of new resources and the possible energy valorisation of various by-products. Interviews about biomass market and development perspectives are proposed with representatives of institutions, energy industries and professional bodies concerned with biomass development and production. Other articles comments the slow development of biomass-based cogeneration, the coming into operation of a demonstration biomass roasting installation in Pau (France), the development potential of biogas in France, the project of bio natural gas vehicles in Lille, and the large development of biogas in Germany

Assessing biomass chains feasibility at local level

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Colonna, N.; Pignatelli, V.; Alfano, V. [Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Rome (Italy). Energy and Sustainable Economic Development; Lupia, F. [National Inst. of Agricultural Economics, Rome (Italy)

2010-07-01

This paper reported on a study that identified all bioenergy resources available in Italy's agro-energy district known as Valle dei Latini. The study involved a multidisciplinary approach through which rural districts were analyzed for their socioeconomic characteristics. The information was integrated with the agroindustry sector, networks and land morphology. Data on biomass production, potential and energy consumption were processed and integrated via spatial analysis. A specially designed GIS was used as a support tool for a feasibility analysis for different biomass chains. In particular, the suitability of the land for growing sunflowers for biofuel was determined. The methodology included various analytical steps such as data collection, geodatabase creation, sunflower suitability factors, constraints and GIS processing. The core processing is based on the set up and resolution of a multi-criteria analysis of multi-attribute form. The methodology has been optimized to obtain the maximum spatial resolution and analysis related to the available data. A sunflower land suitability map characterized by the subdivision of the area in distinct land suitability classes was subsequently created.

Energy production from biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bestebroer, S.I.

1995-01-01

The aim of the task group 'Energy Production from Biomass', initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, was to identify bottlenecks in the development of biomass for energy production. The bottlenecks were identified by means of a process analysis of clean biomass fuels to the production of electricity and/or heat. The subjects in the process analysis are the potential availability of biomass, logistics, processing techniques, energy use, environmental effects, economic impact, and stimulation measures. Three categories of biomass are distinguished: organic residual matter, imported biomass, and energy crops, cultivated in the Netherlands. With regard to the processing techniques attention is paid to co-firing of clean biomass in existing electric power plants (co-firing in a coal-fired power plant or co-firing of fuel gas from biomass in a coal-fired or natural gas-fired power plant), and the combustion or gasification of clean biomass in special stand-alone installations. 5 figs., 13 tabs., 28 refs

Biomass Characterization | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Characterization Biomass Characterization NREL provides high-quality analytical characterization of biomass feedstocks, intermediates, and products, a critical step in optimizing biomass conversion clear, amber liquid Standard Biomass Laboratory Analytical Procedures We maintain a library of

Capacidad de carga de las transmisiones por tornillo sinfín y corona. // Load capacity of worm gears transmissions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Rivero Llerena

2003-01-01

Full Text Available El uso de los reductores de velocidad comenzó a principios del siglo xx, su extensa difusión en el mundo actual permiteadquirirlos como unidades ensambladas a un costo relativamente bajo para la calidad del producto ofertado. Losantecedentes de este trabajo están en las investigaciones realizadas desde hace más de tres décadas en el ISPJAE. Lacreación de tecnologías propias sobre la base de estas investigaciones ha permitido la producción de reductores develocidad por tornillo sinfín con índices de calidad comparables con los índices de los reductores foráneos. El método dereconversión de reductores de velocidad que han quedado fuera de servicio, es utilizado en Cuba con resultadossatisfactorios a partir de la utilización de las carcasas originales. El presente trabajo pretende destacar la influencia de loserrores de contacto en la capacidad de carga de la transmisión por tornillo sinfín. Se brinda en esta ocasión, unprocedimiento para el cálculo automatizado de la superficie activa del diente de la rueda y se ofrece una expresión decálculo propia que permite pronosticar la capacidad de carga de la transmisión, a partir de la huella de contacto, encorrespondencia con los requisitos de contacto para un grado de precisión dado.Palabras claves: Capacidad de carga, huella de contacto, tornillo sinfín._____________________________________________________________________________Abstract.The use of worm gears transmissions started at the beginning of the 20th century and its wide spread use allow to purchaseas join units with low cost according to the product quality. Investigations that for more than thirty years took place at theISPJAE are the bases of this study. The Cuban technologies have permitted to produce worm gears with a comparablequality as foreign ones. The reconversion method for worm gears out of service is used in Cuba, and satisfactory results areobtained. In this paper are exposed the contact errors influence

Biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Bernard R. Parresol

2001-01-01

Biomass, the contraction for biological mass, is the amount of living material provided by a given area or volume of the earth's surface, whether terrestrial or aquatic. Biomass is important for commercial uses (e.g., fuel and fiber) and for national development planning, as well as for scientific studies of ecosystem productivity, energy and nutrient flows, and...

A new species and new record of deep-sea scale-worms (Polynoidae: Polychaeta) from the Okinawa Trough and the South China Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Sui, Jixing; Li, Xinzheng

2017-03-06

A new species of scale-worm, Lepidonotopodium okinawae sp. nov. from the Okinawa Trough is described. The new species differs from the other species of Lepidonotopodium by having 24 segments and numerous foveolae on the surface of elytra with one globular micropapilla in every foveola. A new record of the mussel commensal Branchipolynoe pettiboneae Miura & Hashimoto, 1991 is reported and described from the northern South China Sea, where for the first time the scale-worm is noted as occurring at a cold-seep. Keys to distinguish the species of Branchipolynoe and Lepidonotopodium are provided.

Biosorption of the metal-complex dye Acid Black 172 by live and heat-treated biomass of Pseudomonas sp. strain DY1: Kinetics and sorption mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Du, Lin-Na; Wang, Bing [College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province (China); Li, Gang [Department of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Wenzhou Vocational College of Science and Technology, 325006 Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province (China); Wang, Sheng [College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province (China); Crowley, David E., E-mail: crowley@ucr.edu [Department of Environmental Science, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 (United States); Zhao, Yu-Hua, E-mail: yhzhao225@zju.edu.cn [College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province (China)

2012-02-29

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The maximum amount of Acid Black 172 sorption was about 2.98 mmol/g biomass. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Amine groups played a major role in the biosorption of Acid Black 172. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The reasons of increased dye sorption by heat-treated biomass were proposed. - Abstract: The ability of Pseudomonas sp. strain DY1 to adsorb Acid Black 172 was studied to determine the kinetics and mechanisms involved in biosorption of the dye. Kinetic data for adsorption fit a pseudo-second-order model. Increased initial dye concentration could significantly enhance the amount of dye adsorbed by heat-treated biomass in which the maximum amount of dye adsorbed was as high as 2.98 mmol/g biomass, whereas it had no significant influence on dye sorption by live biomass. As treated temperature increased, the biomass showed gradual increase of dye sorption ability. Experiments using potentiometric titration and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that amine groups (NH{sub 2}) played a prominent role in biosorption of Acid Black 172. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis indicated that heat treatment of the biomass increased the permeability of the cell walls and denatured the intracellular proteins. The results of biosorption experiments by different cell components confirmed that intracellular proteins contributed to the increased biosorption of Acid Black 172 by heat-treated biomass. The data suggest that biomass produced by this strain may have application for removal of metal-complex dyes from wastewater streams generated from the dye products industry.

The biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viterbo, J.

2011-01-01

Biomass comes mainly from forests and agriculture and is considered as a clean alternative energy that can be valorized as heat, power, bio-fuels and chemical products but its mass production is challenging in terms of adequate technology but also in terms of rethinking the use of lands. Forests can be managed to produce biomass but bio-fuels can also be generated from sea-weeds. Biomass appears very promising but on one hand we have to secure its supplying and assure its economical profitability and on another hand we have to assure a reasonable use of lands and a limited impact on the environment. The contribution of biomass to sustainable development depends on the balance between these 2 ends. (A.C.)

Biomass [updated

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turhollow Jr, Anthony F [ORNL

2016-01-01

Biomass resources and conversion technologies are diverse. Substantial biomass resources exist including woody crops, herbaceous perennials and annuals, forest resources, agricultural residues, and algae. Conversion processes available include fermentation, gasification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, combustion, and transesterification. Bioderived products include liquid fuels (e.g. ethanol, biodiesel, and gasoline and diesel substitutes), gases, electricity, biochemical, and wood pellets. At present the major sources of biomass-derived liquid fuels are from first generation biofuels; ethanol from maize and sugar cane (89 billion L in 2013) and biodiesel from vegetable oils and fats (24 billion liters in 2011). For other than traditional uses, policy in the forms of mandates, targets, subsidies, and greenhouse gas emission targets has largely been driving biomass utilization. Second generation biofuels have been slow to take off.

IMPROVING BIOMASS LOGISTICS COST WITHIN AGRONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY CONSTRAINTS AND BIOMASS QUALITY TARGETS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

J. Richard Hess; Kevin L. Kenney; Christopher T. Wright; David J. Muth; William Smith

2012-10-01

Equipment manufacturers have made rapid improvements in biomass harvesting and handling equipment. These improvements have increased transportation and handling efficiencies due to higher biomass densities and reduced losses. Improvements in grinder efficiencies and capacity have reduced biomass grinding costs. Biomass collection efficiencies (the ratio of biomass collected to the amount available in the field) as high as 75% for crop residues and greater than 90% for perennial energy crops have also been demonstrated. However, as collection rates increase, the fraction of entrained soil in the biomass increases, and high biomass residue removal rates can violate agronomic sustainability limits. Advancements in quantifying multi-factor sustainability limits to increase removal rate as guided by sustainable residue removal plans, and mitigating soil contamination through targeted removal rates based on soil type and residue type/fraction is allowing the use of new high efficiency harvesting equipment and methods. As another consideration, single pass harvesting and other technologies that improve harvesting costs cause biomass storage moisture management challenges, which challenges are further perturbed by annual variability in biomass moisture content. Monitoring, sampling, simulation, and analysis provide basis for moisture, time, and quality relationships in storage, which has allowed the development of moisture tolerant storage systems and best management processes that combine moisture content and time to accommodate baled storage of wet material based upon “shelf-life.” The key to improving biomass supply logistics costs has been developing the associated agronomic sustainability and biomass quality technologies and processes that allow the implementation of equipment engineering solutions.

An integrated environmental analysis of short rotation forests as a biomass resource

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stjernquist, Ingrid

1994-01-01

Short-rotation plantations are an environmental sound energy resource if: (1) the biomass production systems are not pressed to maximum production, (2) cultivation measures are taken to minimize nutrient leaching, (3) the short-rotation plantations are designed for visual adaptation to the landscape, and (4) directed silvicultural measures are taken to retain and improve important habitats and protect marginal forest areas. (author)

Biomass Supply and Trade Opportunities of Preprocessed Biomass for Power Generation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Batidzirai, B.; Junginger, M.; Klemm, M.; Schipfer, F.; Thrän, D.

2016-01-01

International trade of solid biomass is expected to increase significantly given the global distribution of biomass resources and anticipated expansion of bioenergy deployment in key global power markets. Given the unique characteristics of biomass, its long-distance trade requires optimized

Thermodynamic approach to biomass gasification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boissonnet, G.; Seiler, J.M.

2003-01-01

The document presents an approach of biomass transformation in presence of steam, hydrogen or oxygen. Calculation results based on thermodynamic equilibrium are discussed. The objective of gasification techniques is to increase the gas content in CO and H 2 . The maximum content in these gases is obtained when thermodynamic equilibrium is approached. Any optimisation action of a process. will, thus, tend to approach thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. On the other hand, such calculations can be used to determine the conditions which lead to an increase in the production of CO and H 2 . An objective is also to determine transformation enthalpies that are an important input for process calculations. Various existing processes are assessed, and associated thermodynamic limitations are evidenced. (author)

Enhanced degradation of γ-irradiated forest biomass by a strain of Trichoderma viride isolated from forest soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Nivedita; Bhalla, T.C.; Bhatt, A.K.; Agrawal, H.O.

1993-01-01

Biodegradation of irradiated forest biomass materials by a cellulase producing strain of Trichoderma viride showed an increase in the level of sugars released and proteins formed. Although the maximum sugars and maximum proteins were released from the saw dust and bark of C. deodara respectively this treatment increases the susceptibility of all the lignocelluloses and resulted in increased levels of sugars and maximum protein in comparison to the untreated ones. The saw dusts of Cedrus and Pinus and needles of P. roxburghii emerged quite promising from biotechnology point of view. (author). 10 refs., 1 tab

Biomass Feedstocks | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Feedstocks Biomass Feedstocks Our mission is to enable the coordinated development of biomass generic biomass thermochemical conversion process (over a screened-back map of the United States) showing U.S. Biomass Resources, represented by photos of timber, corn stover, switchgrass, and poplar. All

Production of ethanol from lepthochloa fusca L. (kallar grass) and panicum maximum using cellulases from trichoderma SSP and cultures of saccharomyces carlsbergensis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajoka, M.I.; Malik, K.A.

1991-01-01

Saline sodic soils have been used for production of biomass using salt tolerant grass, kallar grass followed by lesser tolerant plants, namely, sasbania aculeata or Panicum maximum or to provide biomass throughout the year for it utilization for microbial conversion. These substrates have been utilized to produce single cell protein and cellases or hemicellulases. The enzyme titer obtained after growth of cellulomonas biazotea on kallar grass could saccharify wheat straw ad bagasse for subsequent conversion to ethanol but kallar grass itself was saccharified to lesser extent, however, enzyme titres from different fungi could saccherify the biomass produced on saline lands to monomeric sugars. In these studies, the enzyme titre from Trichoderma spp. were used for saccharification purpose. (author)

Energy from biomass. Teaching material; Energie aus Biomasse. Ein Lehrmaterial

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-04-01

The textbook discusses the available options for power and heat generation from biomass as well as the limits of biomass-based power supply. The main obstacle apart from the high cost is a lack of knowledge, which the book intends to remedy. It addresses students of agriculture, forestry, environmental engineering, heating systems engineering and apprentice chimney sweepers, but it will also be useful to all other interested readers. [German] Biomasse kann aufgrund seiner vielfaeltigen Erscheinungs- und Umwandlungsformen sowohl als Brennstoff zur Waerme- und Stromgewinnung oder als Treibstoff eingesetzt werden. Die energetische Nutzung von Biomasse birgt zudem nicht zu verachtende Vorteile. Zum einen wegen des Beitrags zum Klimaschutz aufgrund der CO{sub 2}-Neutralitaet oder einfach, weil Biomasse immer wieder nachwaechst und von fossilen Ressourcen unabhaengig macht. All den bisher erschlossenen Moeglichkeiten der energetischen Nutzung von Biomasse moechte dieses Lehrbuch Rechnung tragen. Es zeigt aber auch die Grenzen auf, die mit der Energieversorgung durch Bioenergie einhergehen. Hohe Kosten und ein erhebliches Informationsdefizit behinderten bisher eine verstaerkte Nutzung dieses Energietraeges. Letzterem soll dieses Lehrbuch entgegenwirken. Das vorliegende Lehrbuch wurde fuer die Aus- und Weiterbildung erstellt. Es richtet sich vor allem an angehende Land- und Forstwirte, Umwelttechniker, Heizungsbauer und Schornsteinfeger, ist aber auch fuer all diejenigen interessant, die das Thema ''Energie aus Biomasse'' verstehen und ueberblicken moechten. (orig.)

Comparative study for hardwood and softwood forest biomass: chemical characterization, combustion phases and gas and particulate matter emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Amaral, Simone Simões; de Carvalho, João Andrade; Costa, Maria Angélica Martins; Soares Neto, Turíbio Gomes; Dellani, Rafael; Leite, Luiz Henrique Scavacini

2014-07-01

Two different types of typical Brazilian forest biomass were burned in the laboratory in order to compare their combustion characteristics and pollutant emissions. Approximately 2 kg of Amazon biomass (hardwood) and 2 kg of Araucaria biomass (softwood) were burned. Gaseous emissions of CO2, CO, and NOx and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) were evaluated in the flaming and smoldering combustion phases. Temperature, burn rate, modified combustion efficiency, emissions factor, and particle diameter and concentration were studied. A continuous analyzer was used to quantify gas concentrations. A DataRam4 and a Cascade Impactor were used to sample PM2.5. Araucaria biomass (softwood) had a lignin content of 34.9%, higher than the 23.3% of the Amazon biomass (hardwood). CO2 and CO emissions factors seem to be influenced by lignin content. Maximum concentrations of CO2, NOx and PM2.5 were observed in the flaming phase. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomass cogeneration: A business assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Skelton, J. C.

1981-11-01

The biomass cogeneration was reviewed. The business assessment is based in part on discussions with key officials from firms that have adopted biomass cogeneration systems and from organizations such as utilities, state and federal agencies, and banks directly involved in a biomass cogeneration project. The guide is organized into five chapters: biomass cogeneration systems, biomass cogeneration business considerations, biomass cogeneration economics, biomass cogeneration project planning, and case studies.

Fodder Biomass Monitoring in Sahelian Rangelands Using Phenological Metrics from FAPAR Time Series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdoul Aziz Diouf

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Timely monitoring of plant biomass is critical for the management of forage resources in Sahelian rangelands. The estimation of annual biomass production in the Sahel is based on a simple relationship between satellite annual Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI and in situ biomass data. This study proposes a new methodology using multi-linear models between phenological metrics from the SPOT-VEGETATION time series of Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR and in situ biomass. A model with three variables—large seasonal integral (LINTG, length of growing season, and end of season decreasing rate—performed best (MAE = 605 kg·DM/ha; R2 = 0.68 across Sahelian ecosystems in Senegal (data for the period 1999–2013. A model with annual maximum (PEAK and start date of season showed similar performances (MAE = 625 kg·DM/ha; R2 = 0.64, allowing a timely estimation of forage availability. The subdivision of the study area in ecoregions increased overall accuracy (MAE = 489.21 kg·DM/ha; R2 = 0.77, indicating that a relation between metrics and ecosystem properties exists. LINTG was the main explanatory variable for woody rangelands with high leaf biomass, whereas for areas dominated by herbaceous vegetation, it was the PEAK metric. The proposed approach outperformed the established biomass NDVI-based product (MAE = 818 kg·DM/ha and R2 = 0.51 and should improve the operational monitoring of forage resources in Sahelian rangelands.

Worm control practice against gastro-intestinal parasites in Norwegian sheep and goat flocks

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Anthelmintic treatment is the most common way of controlling nematode infections in ruminants. However, several countries have reported anthelmintic resistance (AR), representing a limitation for sustainable small ruminant production. The knowledge regarding worm control management represents a baseline to develop a guideline for preventing AR. The aim of the present study was therefore to improve our knowledge about the worm control practices in small ruminant flocks in Norway. Methods A questionnaire survey regarding worm control practices was performed in small ruminant flocks in Norway. Flocks were selected from the three main areas of small ruminant farming, i.e. the coastal, inland and northern areas. A total of 825 questionnaires, comprising 587 sheep flocks (return rate of 51.3%) and 238 goat flocks (52.6%) were included. Results The results indicated that visual appraisal of individual weight was the most common means of estimating the anthelmintic dose used in sheep (78.6%) and goat (85.1%) flocks. The mean yearly drenching rate in lambs and ewes were 2.5 ± 1.7 and 1.9 ± 1.1, respectively, whereas it was 1.0 (once a year) in goats. However, these figures were higher in sheep in the coastal area with a rate of 3.4 and 2.2 in lambs and ewes, respectively. Benzimidazoles were the predominant anthelmintic class used in sheep flocks (64.9% in 2007), whereas benzimidazoles and macrocyclic lactones were both equally used in dairy goat flocks. In the period of 2005-2007, 46.3% of the sheep flocks never changed the anthelmintic class. The dose and move strategy was practiced in 33.2% of the sheep flocks. Conclusions The present study showed that inaccurate weight calculation gives a risk of under-dosing in over 90% of the sheep and goat flocks in Norway. Taken together with a high treatment frequency in lambs, a lack of anthelmintic class rotation and the common use of a dose-and-move strategy, a real danger for development of anthelmintic resistance

Worm control practice against gastro-intestinal parasites in Norwegian sheep and goat flocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vatn Synnøve

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Anthelmintic treatment is the most common way of controlling nematode infections in ruminants. However, several countries have reported anthelmintic resistance (AR, representing a limitation for sustainable small ruminant production. The knowledge regarding worm control management represents a baseline to develop a guideline for preventing AR. The aim of the present study was therefore to improve our knowledge about the worm control practices in small ruminant flocks in Norway. Methods A questionnaire survey regarding worm control practices was performed in small ruminant flocks in Norway. Flocks were selected from the three main areas of small ruminant farming, i.e. the coastal, inland and northern areas. A total of 825 questionnaires, comprising 587 sheep flocks (return rate of 51.3% and 238 goat flocks (52.6% were included. Results The results indicated that visual appraisal of individual weight was the most common means of estimating the anthelmintic dose used in sheep (78.6% and goat (85.1% flocks. The mean yearly drenching rate in lambs and ewes were 2.5 ± 1.7 and 1.9 ± 1.1, respectively, whereas it was 1.0 (once a year in goats. However, these figures were higher in sheep in the coastal area with a rate of 3.4 and 2.2 in lambs and ewes, respectively. Benzimidazoles were the predominant anthelmintic class used in sheep flocks (64.9% in 2007, whereas benzimidazoles and macrocyclic lactones were both equally used in dairy goat flocks. In the period of 2005-2007, 46.3% of the sheep flocks never changed the anthelmintic class. The dose and move strategy was practiced in 33.2% of the sheep flocks. Conclusions The present study showed that inaccurate weight calculation gives a risk of under-dosing in over 90% of the sheep and goat flocks in Norway. Taken together with a high treatment frequency in lambs, a lack of anthelmintic class rotation and the common use of a dose-and-move strategy, a real danger for development of

Giant kidney worm (Dioctophyma renale) infection mimicking retroperitoneal neoplasm.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, T; Turnbull, A; Lieberman, P H; Sternberg, S S

1986-07-01

A 50-year-old Chinese man was found by ultrasound and computed tomography to have a retroperitoneal mass in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. At operation, a hemorrhagic cyst was detected at the upper pole of the right kidney adjacent to the adrenal gland. Microscopic examination revealed that the cyst wall was composed of granulomatous tissue loaded with eggs and cross-sections of parasites, identified as Dioctophyma renale. The eggs were characterized by a birefringent striated double wall. The presence of cross sections of adult worms of D. renale in human tissue has not been previously described. Another unique feature of this case was that the right kidney was intact, as examined grossly at laparotomy and by intravenous pyelography. Eggs were not detected in the urine.

Seasonal evolution of faecal egg output by gastrointestinal worms in goats on communal farms in eastern Namibia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F.F. Kumba

2003-11-01

Full Text Available As a more detailed continuation of a previous study, faecal samples for worm egg counts were collected per rectum from ten marked adult animals in selected flocks of goats, in each of six villages evenly spread out in the communal farming district of Okakarara in eastern Namibia. The study was conducted on a monthly basis from August 1999 to July 2000. Average faecal worm egg counts (FECs were highest during the warm-wet season, much lower during the cold-dry months and moderate during the hot-dry season. Least square means of FECs were 2 140, 430 and 653 per gram of faeces for the three seasons, respectively. Seasonal variation in egg counts was significant (P < 0.0001. Gastrointestinal strongyles, and to a lesser extent Strongyloides species, were the predominant parasite groups identified in goats. Kidding rates peaked in the cold-dry season and mortality rates in the hot-dry season. Results of this study suggest that gastrointestinal parasitism may be a problem that accentuates the effect of poor nutrition on small ruminants during the season of food shortages in the east of Namibia and that the use of FECs per se to assess the severity of gastrointestinal parasitic infection in goats followed by chemoprophylactic strategic and / or tactical treatment, may not be the best approach to addressing the worm problem under resource-poor conditions. The use of the FAMACHA(c system that identifies severely affected animals for treatment is technically a better option for communal farmers.

Thermodynamic simulation of biomass gas steam reforming for a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Sordi

2009-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a methodology to simulate a small-scale fuel cell system for power generation using biomass gas as fuel. The methodology encompasses the thermodynamic and electrochemical aspects of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC, as well as solves the problem of chemical equilibrium in complex systems. In this case the complex system is the internal reforming of biomass gas to produce hydrogen. The fuel cell input variables are: operational voltage, cell power output, composition of the biomass gas reforming, thermodynamic efficiency, electrochemical efficiency, practical efficiency, the First and Second law efficiencies for the whole system. The chemical compositions, molar flows and temperatures are presented to each point of the system as well as the exergetic efficiency. For a molar water/carbon ratio of 2, the thermodynamic simulation of the biomass gas reforming indicates the maximum hydrogen production at a temperature of 1070 K, which can vary as a function of the biomass gas composition. The comparison with the efficiency of simple gas turbine cycle and regenerative gas turbine cycle shows the superiority of SOFC for the considered electrical power range.

Biomass Demand-Resources Value Targeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Chun Hsion; Lam, Hon Loong

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Introduce DRVT supply chain modelling approach to consider underutilised biomass. • Advantages of the novel DRVT biomass supply chain approach. • A case study is presented to demonstrate the improvement of the system. - Abstract: With the global awareness towards sustainability, biomass industry becomes one of the main focuses in the search of alternative renewable resources for energy and downstream product. However, the efficiency of the biomass management, especially in supply chain is still questionable. Even though many researches and integrations of supply chain network have been conducted, less has considered underutilised biomass. This leads to the ignorance of potential value in particular biomass species. A new Demand-Resources Value Targeting (DRVT) approach is introduced in this study to investigate the value of each biomass available in order to fully utilise the biomass in respective applications. With systematic biomass value classification, integration of supply chain based on biomass value from biomass resources-to-downstream product can be developed. DRVT model allows better understanding of biomass and their potential downstream application. A simple demonstration of DRVT approach is conducted based on biomass resources in Malaysia

[Effects of drought and waterlogging on carbohydrate contents of cotton boll and its relationship with boll biomass accumulation at the flowering and bolling stage].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chang-Qin; Liu, Jing-Ran; Zhang, Guo-Wei; Liu, Rui-Xian; Zhou, Zhi-Guo

2014-08-01

Cotton cultivar NuCOTN 33B was planted in isolated pools treated with drought or waterlogging for 7 or 14 d to explore their effects on cotton boll carbohydrate content and its relationship with the biomass accumulation. The results showed that the drought treatment reduced the carbohydrate content of cotton boll shell on middle fruit branches, but had a weak effect on cotton boll shells on lower fruit branches. Soluble sugar, starch and sucrose contents of cotton boll shell on upper fruit branches under the drought condition and on whole plant branches under waterlogging treatment changed similarly, namely, the soluble sugar and starch content increased, while the sucrose content went down firstly and then increased later, which indicated that the exportation of sucrose from boll shell was inhibited and became worse with the increase of waterlogging duration. Compared with the boll shell, the carbohydrate contents of cotton seed were less affected by the drought and waterlogging treatments at the flowering and bolling stage. Under the treatments of drought and 7 d-waterlogging, the biomass accumulation of cotton bolls on the middle fruit branches initiated earlier but lasted less days, and the maximum speed at lower and upper fruit branches reduced, while the treatment of waterlogging for 14 d caused the decline of maximum speed of biomass accumulation of bolls on whole branches. On the other side, the correlation analysis showed the significant positive relationships among the boll biomass, the maximum speed and the contents of soluble sugar and sucrose in the boll shell respectively. In conclusion, the treatment of drought and waterlogging at the flowering and bolling stage retarded the outward transportation of sucrose from cotton bolls, changed the boll biomass accumulation characteristics, and therefore were detected as the important cause of cotton boll total biomass reduction.

Rheology of concentrated biomass

Science.gov (United States)

J.R. Samaniuk; J. Wang; T.W. Root; C.T. Scott; D.J. Klingenberg

2011-01-01

Economic processing of lignocellulosic biomass requires handling the biomass at high solids concentration. This creates challenges because concentrated biomass behaves as a Bingham-like material with large yield stresses. Here we employ torque rheometry to measure the rheological properties of concentrated lignocellulosic biomass (corn stover). Yield stresses obtained...

AFSC/RACE/FBEP/Laurel: Effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbance on polychaete worm tubes and age-0 flatfish distribution

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset is from a field experiment that examined how juvenile flatfish distribution changed with worm tube heterogeneity, i.e. density and patchiness.

One-step solvothermal synthesis, a worm-shaped morphology and luminescence properties of green-emitting Y2O2S:Tb3+ nanophosphors

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Fan; Lian, Jingbao; Wu, Nianchu; He, Jiao; Zhang, Xue; Liu, Feng

2018-02-01

The worm-shaped Y2O2S:Tb3+ nanophosphors have been successfully prepared via one-step solvothermal synthesis, using ethanediamine as the main solvent and sublimed sulfur powder as the source of sulfur without adding additional structure-directing reagents. XRD, FT-IR, FESEM, PL and CIE chromaticity diagram were used to characterize the obtained products. XRD results demonstrate that all diffraction peaks of the sample can be well indexed to pure hexagonal phase of Y2O2S with optimal condition, i.e. the molar ration of S/Y3+m = 10, solvothermal temperature T = 220 °C and synthetic time t = 24 h. When t varies from 2 h to 24 h, the morphology of Y2O2S transforms from cauliflower-like structure to worm-shaped nanoparticles with the length of ∼80 nm. The formation mechanism depending on t has also been proposed. Upon 250 nm ultraviolet (UV) light excitation, the worm-shaped Y2O2S:Tb3+ nanophosphors exhibit green emissions, corresponding to the 5D4 → 7FJ (J = 6, 5, 4, 3) transitions of Tb3+ions. The quenching concentration is 7% and its corresponding lifetime is 1216 μs. The CIE chromaticity coordinates show the tuneable emission shifting from yellow green to yellowish green with increasing concentration of Tb3+ions from 1% to 7%. Those results suggest that the worm-shaped Y2O2S:Tb3+ nanophosphors may have potential applications in X-ray intensifying screens, fluorescence and biomedical fields.

Thermal characteristics of various biomass fuels in a small-scale biomass combustor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Shemmeri, T.T.; Yedla, R.; Wardle, D.

2015-01-01

Biomass combustion is a mature and reliable technology, which has been used for heating and cooking. In the UK, biomass currently qualifies for financial incentives such as the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). Therefore, it is vital to select the right type of fuel for a small-scale combustor to address different types of heat energy needs. In this paper, the authors attempt to investigate the performance of a small-scale biomass combustor for heating, and the impact of burning different biomass fuels on useful output energy from the combustor. The test results of moisture content, calorific value and combustion products of various biomass samples were presented. Results from this study are in general agreement with published data as far as the calorific values and moisture contents are concerned. Six commonly available biomass fuels were tested in a small-scale combustion system, and the factors that affect the performance of the system were analysed. In addition, the study has extended to examine the magnitude and proportion of useful heat, dissipated by convection and radiation while burning different biomass fuels in the small-scale combustor. It is concluded that some crucial factors have to be carefully considered before selecting biomass fuels for any particular heating application. - Highlights: • Six biomass materials combustion performance in a small combustor was examined. • Fuel combustion rate and amount of heat release has varied between materials. • Heat release by radiation, convection and flue gasses varied between materials. • Study helps engineers and users of biomass systems to select right materials

Removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by fungal biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahluwalia, Sarabjeet Singh [Department of Biotechnology, General Shivdev Singh Diwan Gurbachan Singh Khalsa College, Patiala, Punjab (India); Goyal, Dinesh [Department of Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences, Thapar University, Patiala, Punjab (India)

2010-10-15

Chromium compounds are released by industrial processes including leather production, mining, petroleum refining, in textile industry and dyeing. They are a significant threat to the environment and public health because of their toxicity. Removal of hexavalent chromium by living biomass of different fungi was effective in the order of Aspergillus terricola>Aspergillus niger>Acremonium strictum>Aureobasidium pullulans>Paecilomyces variotii>Aspergillus foetidus>Cladosporium resinae>Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Non-living dried fungal biomass showed higher potential for metal removal than living cells. Among all fungi dead biomass of P. chrysosporium, C. resinae and P. variotii had the maximum specific chromium uptake capacity, which was 11.02, 10.69 and 10.35 mg/g of dry biomass respectively at pH 4.0-5.0 in batch sorption. Removal of Cr(VI) by P. chrysosporium from multi-metallic synthetic solution as well as chrome effluent was significant by bringing down the residual concentration to 0.1 mg/L in the effluent, which falls within the permissible range and its removal was not affected by the presence of other metal ions such as Fe, Zn and Ni. Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis revealed the presence of carboxylate (C=O) and amine (-NH{sup +}{sub 3}-NH{sup +}{sub 2}) functional groups commonly present on the cell surface of all fungi, with possible involvement in chromium binding. The result indicates that non-living fungal biomass either obtained as a by-product of fermentation industry or mass produced using inexpensive culture media can be used for bioremediation of Cr(VI) from chrome effluent on large scale. (Copyright copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Relationship to reducing sugar production and scanning electron microscope structure to pretreated hemp hurd biomass (Cannabis sativa)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abraham, Reinu E.; Barrow, Colin J.; Puri, Munish

2013-11-15

Lignocellulosic biomass is a highly rigid and recalcitrant structure which requires pretreatment to loosen chemical bonds to make accessible monomeric sugars for biofuel production. In this study, locally available biomass, that is hemp (Cannabis sativa), a low cost feedstock for ethanol production, has been used for the production of fermentable sugars. Hemp hurd biomass (HHB) was exposed to five different pretreatments which included dilute acid (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}), alkaline (NaOH), alkaline peroxide, hot water and one stage dilute acid (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}). Different pretreatments resulted in loosening and degradation of HHB structure thus facilitating enzymatic saccharification at optimized parameters (pH–4.8 and 50 °C). The changes in the reactive groups (hydroxyl or acetyl) of the HHB were confirmed by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to characterize the surface morphology of untreated and treated HHB. Finally, enzymatic saccharification demonstrated maximum yield of total sugars (743 mg g{sup −1}) that are suitable for biofuel production. -- Highlights: • Hemp hurd biomass (HHB) was used for producing fermentable sugars. • Alkaline pretreatment resulted in loosening and degradation of hemp structure. • Pretreated HHB was characterized using FTIR studies. • SEM studies evaluated the opening of fiber bundles in pretreatment, thereby increasing cellulose access to enzymes. • Enzymatic saccharification of pretreated HHB demonstrated maximum yield of reducing sugars.

Acid Pre hydrolysis of the Lignocellulose biomass from thistle Onopordum nervosum Boiss

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suarez Contreras, C.; Paz Saa, D.; Diaz Palma, A.

1983-01-01

The acid pre hydrolysis of the lignocellulose biomass from thistle O. nervosum has been conducted to determine the conditions for maximum yield of pentoses with minimum yield of hexoses. Variables studied were acid concentration (H 2 SO 4 , 1 , 3, 4 and 5%) , temperature (1000 and 120 degree centigree) time, solid to liquid ratio and degree of fineness of thistle (1 to 65 mesh). (Author) 15 refs

Biomass burning in Africa: As assessment of annually burned biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delmas, R.A.; Loudjani, P.; Podaire, A.; Menaut, J.C.

1991-01-01

It is now established that biomass burning is the dominant phenomenon that controls the atmospheric chemistry in the tropics. Africa is certainly the continent where biomass burning under various aspects and processes is the greatest. Three different types of burnings have to be considered-bush fires in savanna zones which mainly affect herbaceous flora, forest fires due to forestation for shifting agriculture or colonization of new lands, and the use of wood as fuel. The net release of carbon resulting from deforestation is assumed to be responsible for about 20% of the CO 2 increase in the atmosphere because the burning of forests corresponds to a destorage of carbon from the biospheric reservoir. The amount of reactive of greenhouse gases emitted by biomass burning is directly proportional, through individual emission factors, to the biomass actually burned. This chapter evaluates the biomass annually burned on the African continent as a result of the three main burning processes previously mentioned

Biomass boiler energy conversion system analysis with the aid of exergy-based methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Changchun; Gillum, Craig; Toupin, Kevin; Donaldson, Burl

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Conventional exergy analysis and advanced exergy analysis are performed. • The combustion process dominates the exergy destruction. • Increase excess air will decrease the overall boiler exergy efficiency. • Increase the SH temperatures will increase the overall boiler exergy efficiency. • The avoidable exergy destructions in the air heaters are very small. - Abstract: The objective of this paper is to establish a theoretical framework for the exergy analysis and advanced exergy analysis of a real biomass boiler. These analyses can be used for both the diagnosis and optimization of a biomass boiler as well as for the design of a new biomass boiler. Conventional exergy analysis is performed to recognize the source(s) of inefficiency and irreversibility and identify exergy destruction in different components of the biomass boiler. An advanced exergy analysis is performed to provide comprehensive information about the avoidable exergy destruction and real fuel-saving potential for each component, as well as the overall system. Sensitivity studies of several design parameters including the excess air, biomass moisture and steam parameters were evaluated. The results show that the maximum exergy destruction occurs in the combustion process, followed by the Water Walls (WW) & Radiant Superheater (RSH) and the Low Temperature Superheater (LTSH). The fuel-saving and exergy efficiency improvement strategies for different components are discussed in this paper

Greenhouse gas balances and mitigation costs of 70 modern Germany-focused and 4 traditional biomass pathways including land-use change effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sterner, Michael; Fritsche, Uwe

2011-01-01

With Germany as the point of energy end-use, 70 current and future modern pathways plus 4 traditional biomass pathways for heat, power and transport have been compiled and examined in one single greenhouse gas (GHG) balancing assessment. This is needed to broaden the narrow focus on biofuels for transport and identify the role of bioenergy in GHG mitigation. Sensitivity analysis for land-use changes and fossil reference systems are included. Co-firing of woody biomass and fermentation of waste biomass are the most cost-efficient and effective biomass applications for GHG emission reduction in modern pathways. Replacing traditional biomass with modern biomass applications offers an underestimated economic potential of GHG emission reduction. The range of maximum CO 2 equivalent GHG reduction potential of bioenergy is identified in a range of 2.5–16 Gt a −1 in 2050 (5–33% of today’s global GHG emissions), and has an economic bioenergy potential of 150 EJ a −1 .

Comparison of various extraction techniques for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in worms.

Science.gov (United States)

Mooibroek, D; Hoogerbrugge, R; Stoffelsen, B H G; Dijkman, E; Berkhoff, C J; Hogendoorn, E A

2002-10-25

Two less laborious extraction methods, viz. (i) a simplified liquid extraction using light petroleum or (ii) microwave-assisted solvent extraction (MASE), for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in samples of the compost worm Eisenia andrei, were compared with a reference method. After extraction and concentration, analytical methodology consisted of a cleanup of (part) of the extract with high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC) and instrumental analysis of 15 PAHs with reversed-phase liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (RPLC-FLD). Comparison of the methods was done by analysing samples with incurred residues (n=15, each method) originating from an experiment in which worms were exposed to a soil contaminated with PAHs. Simultaneously, the performance of the total lipid determination of each method was established. Evaluation of the data by means of principal component analysis (PCA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the performance of the light petroleum method for both the extraction of PAHs (concentration range 1-30 ng/g) and lipid content corresponds very well with the reference method. Compared to the reference method, the MASE method yielded somewhat lower concentrations for the less volatile PAHs, e.g., dibenzo[ah]anthracene and benzo[ghi]perylene and provided a significant higher amount of co-extracted material.

Antischistosomal activity of a calcium channel antagonist on schistosomula and adult Schistosoma mansoni worms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanessa Silva-Moraes

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Current schistosomiasis control strategies are largely based on chemotherapeutic agents and a limited number of drugs are available today. Praziquantel (PZQ is the only drug currently used in schistosomiasis control programs. Unfortunately, this drug shows poor efficacy in patients during the earliest infection phases. The effects of PZQ appear to operate on the voltage-operated Ca2+channels, which are located on the external Schistosoma mansoni membrane. Because some Ca2+channels have dihydropyridine drug class (a class that includes nifedipine sensitivity, an in vitro analysis using a calcium channel antagonist (clinically used for cardiovascular hypertension was performed to determine the antischistosomal effects of nifedipine on schistosomula and adult worm cultures. Nifedipine demonstrated antischistosomal activity against schistosomula and significantly reduced viability at all of the concentrations used alone or in combination with PZQ. In contrast, PZQ did not show significant efficacy when used alone. Adult worms were also affected by nifedipine after a 24 h incubation and exhibited impaired motility, several lesions on the tegument and intense contractility. These data support the idea of Ca2+channels subunits as drug targets and favour alternative therapeutic schemes when drug resistance has been reported. In this paper, strong arguments encouraging drug research are presented, with a focus on exploring schistosomal Ca2+channels.

Microwave assisted acid and alkali pretreatment of Miscanthus biomass for biorefineries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zongyuan Zhu

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Miscanthus is a major bioenergy crop in Europe and a potential feedstock for second generation biofuels. Thermochemical pretreatment is a significant step in the process of converting lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars. In this work, microwave energy was applied to facilitate NaOH and H2SO4 pretreatments of Miscanthus. This was carried out at 180 ℃ in a monomode microwave cavity at 300 W. Our results show that H2SO4 pretreatment contributes to the breakdown of hemicelluloses and cellulose, leading to a high glucose yield. The maximum sugar yield from available carbohydrates during pretreatment is 75.3% (0.2 M H2SO4 20 Min, and glucose yield is 46.7% under these conditions. NaOH and water pretreatments tend to break down only hemicellulose in preference to cellulose, contributing to high xylose yield. Compared to conventional heating NaOH/H2SO4 pretreatment, 12 times higher sugar yield was obtained by using microwave assisted pretreatment within half the time. NaOH pretreatments lead to a significantly enhanced digestibility of the residue, because the effective removal of lignin and hemicellulose makes cellulose fibres more accessible to cellulases. Morphological study of biomass shows that the tightly packed fibres in the Miscanthus were dismantled and exposed under NaOH condition. We studied sugar degradation under microwave assisted H2SO4 conditions. The results shows that 6-8% biomass was converted into levulinic acid (LA during pretreatment, showing the possibility of using microwave technology to produce LA from biomass. The outcome of this work shows great potential for using microwave in the thermo-chemical pretreatment for biomass and also selective production of LA from biomass.

The enzymatic degradation of excess activated sludge : A tale of worms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Valk, S.L.

2013-01-01

The activated sludge process is the most used process to remove organic carbon, nutrients and other pollutants from sewage and also from many industrial waste waters. The organic fraction of waste water is aerobically respired and partly converted into biomass. The surplus biomass is a by-product of

Biomass Conversion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Decker, Steve [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Brunecky, Roman [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Lin, Chien-Yuan [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Amore, Antonella [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wei, Hui [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Chen, Xiaowen [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Tucker, Melvin P [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Czernik, Stefan [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sluiter, Amie D [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Zhang, Min [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Magrini, Kimberly A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Himmel, Michael E [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sheehan, John [Formerly NREL; Dayton, David C. [Formerly NREL; Bozell, Joseph J. [Formerly NREL; Adney, William S. [Formerly NREL; Aden, Andy [Formerly NREL; Hames, Bonnie [Formerly NREL; Thomas, Steven R. [Formerly NREL; Bain, Richard L. [Formerly NREL

2017-08-02

Biomass constitutes all the plant matter found on our planet, and is produced directly by photosynthesis, the fundamental engine of life on earth. It is the photosynthetic capability of plants to utilize carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that leads to its designation as a 'carbon neutral' fuel, meaning that it does not introduce new carbon into the atmosphere. This article discusses the life cycle assessments of biomass use and the magnitude of energy captured by photosynthesis in the form of biomass on the planet to appraise approaches to tap this energy to meet the ever-growing demand for energy.

Study of the potential valorisation of heavy metal contaminated biomass via phytoremediation by fast pyrolysis: Part I. Influence of temperature, biomass species and solid heat carrier on the behaviour of heavy metals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

C. Lievens; J. Yperman; J. Vangronsveld; R. Carleer [Hasselt University, Diepenbeek (Belgium). Laboratory of Applied Chemistry

2008-08-15

Presently, little or no information of implementing fast pyrolysis for looking into the potential valorisation of heavy metal contaminated biomass is available. Fast pyrolysis of heavy metal contaminated biomass (birch and sunflower), containing high amounts of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, resulting from phytoremediation, is investigated. The effect of the pyrolysis temperature (623, 673, 773 and 873 K) and the type of solid heat carrier (sand and fumed silica) on the distribution of the heavy metals in birch and sunflower pyrolysis fractions are studied. The goal of the set-up is 'concentrating' heavy metals in the ash/char fraction after thermal treatment, preventing them to be released in the condensable and/or volatile fractions. The knowledge of the behaviour of heavy metals affects directly future applications and valorisation of the pyrolysis products and thus contaminated biomass. They are indispensable for making and selecting the proper thermal conditions for their maximum recovery. In view of the future valorisation of these biomasses, the amounts of the pyrolysis fractions and the calorific values of the obtained liquid pyrolysis products, as a function of the pyrolysis temperature, are determined. 46 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs.

Biomass resources in California

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tiangco, V.M.; Sethi, P.S. [California Energy Commission, Sacramento, CA (United States)

1993-12-31

The biomass resources in California which have potential for energy conversion were assessed and characterized through the project funded by the California Energy Commission and the US Department of Energy`s Western Regional Biomass Energy Program (WRBEP). The results indicate that there is an abundance of biomass resources as yet untouched by the industry due to technical, economic, and environmental problems, and other barriers. These biomass resources include residues from field and seed crops, fruit and nut crops, vegetable crops, and nursery crops; food processing wastes; forest slash; energy crops; lumber mill waste; urban wood waste; urban yard waste; livestock manure; and chaparral. The estimated total potential of these biomass resource is approximately 47 million bone dry tons (BDT), which is equivalent to 780 billion MJ (740 trillion Btu). About 7 million BDT (132 billion MJ or 124 trillion Btu) of biomass residue was used for generating electricity by 66 direct combustion facilities with gross capacity of about 800 MW. This tonnage accounts for only about 15% of the total biomass resource potential identified in this study. The barriers interfering with the biomass utilization both in the on-site harvesting, collection, storage, handling, transportation, and conversion to energy are identified. The question whether these barriers present significant impact to biomass {open_quotes}availability{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}sustainability{close_quotes} remains to be answered.

Giant kidney worms in a patient with renal cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuehn, Jemima; Lombardo, Lindsay; Janda, William M; Hollowell, Courtney M P

2016-03-07

Dioctophyma renale (D. renale), or giant kidney worms, are the largest nematodes that infect mammals. Approximately 20 cases of human infection have been reported. We present a case of a 71-year-old man with a recent history of unintentional weight loss and painless haematuria, passing elongated erythematous tissue via his urethra. CT revealed a left renal mass with pulmonary nodules and hepatic lesions. On microscopy, the erythematous tissue passed was identified as D. renale. On subsequent renal biopsy, pathology was consistent with renal cell carcinoma. This is the first reported case of concomitant D. renale infection and renal cell carcinoma, and the second reported case of D. renale infection of the left kidney alone. 2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Parasitic worms: knowledge, attitudes, and practices in Western Côte d'Ivoire with implications for integrated control.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cinthia A Acka

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In the developing world where parasitic worm infections are pervasive, preventive chemotherapy is the key strategy for morbidity control. However, local knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP of parasitic worms are poorly understood, although such information is required for prevention and sustainable control. METHODS: We carried out KAP surveys in two rural communities of Côte d'Ivoire that were subjected to school-based and community-based research and control activities. We used qualitative and quantitative methods. The former included observations, in-depth interviews with key informants, and focus group discussions with school children and adults. Quantitative methods consisted of a structured questionnaire administered to household heads. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Access to clean water was lacking in both communities and only a quarter of the households had functioning latrines. There was a better understanding of soil-transmitted helminthiasis than intestinal schistosomiasis, but community-based rather than school-based interventions appeared to improve knowledge of schistosomiasis. In the villages with community-based interventions, three-quarters of household interviewees knew about intestinal schistosomiasis compared to 14% in the village where school-based interventions were implemented (P<0.001. Whereas two-thirds of respondents from the community-based intervention village indicated that the research and control project was the main source of information, only a quarter of the respondents cited the project as the main source. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Preventive chemotherapy targeting school-aged children has limitations, as older population segments are neglected, and hence lack knowledge about how to prevent and control parasitic worm infections. Improved access to clean water and sanitation is necessary, along with health education to make a durable impact against helminth infections.

Modelling of biomass pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazakova, Nadezhda; Petkov, Venko; Mihailov, Emil

2015-01-01

Pyrolysis is an essential preliminary step in a gasifier. The first step in modelling the pyrolysis process of biomass is creating a model for the chemical processes taking place. This model should describe the used fuel, the reactions taking place and the products created in the process. The numerous different polymers present in the organic fraction of the fuel are generally divided in three main groups. So, the multistep kinetic model of biomass pyrolysis is based on conventional multistep devolatilization models of the three main biomass components - cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Numerical simulations have been conducted in order to estimate the influence of the heating rate and the temperature of pyrolysis on the content of the virgin biomass, active biomass, liquid, solid and gaseous phases at any moment. Keywords: kinetic models, pyrolysis, biomass pyrolysis.

Optimization of Culture Medium Enhances Viable Biomass Production and Biocontrol Efficacy of the Antagonistic Yeast, Candida diversa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia Liu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Viable biomass production is a key determinant of suitability of antagonistic yeasts as potential biocontrol agents. This study investigated the effects of three metal ions (magnesium, ferrous, and zinc on biomass production and viability of the antagonistic yeast, Candida diversa. Using response surface methodology to optimize medium components, a maximum biomass was obtained, when the collective Mg2+, Fe2+, and Zn2+ concentrations were adjusted in a minimal mineral (MM medium. Compared with the unmodified MM, and three ion-deficient MM media, yeast cells cultured in the three ion-modified MM medium exhibited a lower level of cellular oxidative damage, and a higher level of antioxidant enzyme activity. A biocontrol assay indicated that C. diversa grown in the ion-modified MM exhibited the greatest level of control of gray mold on apple fruit. These results provide new information on culture medium optimization to grow yeast antagonists in order to improve biomass production and biocontrol efficacy.

Romania biomass energy. Country study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burnham, M; Easterly, J L; Mark, P E; Keller, A [DynCorp, Alexandria, VA (United States)

1995-12-01

The present report was prepared under contract to UNIDO to conduct a case study of biomass energy use and potential in Romania. The purpose of the case study is to provide a specific example of biomass energy issues and potential in the context of the economic transition under way in eastern Europe. The transition of Romania to a market economy is proceeding at a somewhat slower pace than in other countries of eastern Europe. Unfortunately, the former regime forced the use of biomass energy with inadequate technology and infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. The resulting poor performance thus severely damaged the reputation of biomass energy in Romania as a viable, reliable resource. Today, efforts to rejuvenate biomass energy and tap into its multiple benefits are proving challenging. Several sound biomass energy development strategies were identified through the case study, on the basis of estimates of availability and current use of biomass resources; suggestions for enhancing potential biomass energy resources; an overview of appropriate conversion technologies and markets for biomass in Romania; and estimates of the economic and environmental impacts of the utilization of biomass energy. Finally, optimal strategies for near-, medium- and long-term biomass energy development, as well as observations and recommendations concerning policy, legislative and institutional issues affecting the development of biomass energy in Romania are presented. The most promising near-term biomass energy options include the use of biomass in district heating systems; cofiring of biomass in existing coal-fired power plants or combined heat and power plants; and using co-generation systems in thriving industries to optimize the efficient use of biomass resources. Mid-term and long-term opportunities include improving the efficiency of wood stoves used for cooking and heating in rural areas; repairing the reputation of biogasification to take advantage of livestock wastes

Romania biomass energy. Country study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burnham, M.; Easterly, J.L.; Mark, P.E.; Keller, A.

1995-01-01

The present report was prepared under contract to UNIDO to conduct a case study of biomass energy use and potential in Romania. The purpose of the case study is to provide a specific example of biomass energy issues and potential in the context of the economic transition under way in eastern Europe. The transition of Romania to a market economy is proceeding at a somewhat slower pace than in other countries of eastern Europe. Unfortunately, the former regime forced the use of biomass energy with inadequate technology and infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. The resulting poor performance thus severely damaged the reputation of biomass energy in Romania as a viable, reliable resource. Today, efforts to rejuvenate biomass energy and tap into its multiple benefits are proving challenging. Several sound biomass energy development strategies were identified through the case study, on the basis of estimates of availability and current use of biomass resources; suggestions for enhancing potential biomass energy resources; an overview of appropriate conversion technologies and markets for biomass in Romania; and estimates of the economic and environmental impacts of the utilization of biomass energy. Finally, optimal strategies for near-, medium- and long-term biomass energy development, as well as observations and recommendations concerning policy, legislative and institutional issues affecting the development of biomass energy in Romania are presented. The most promising near-term biomass energy options include the use of biomass in district heating systems; cofiring of biomass in existing coal-fired power plants or combined heat and power plants; and using co-generation systems in thriving industries to optimize the efficient use of biomass resources. Mid-term and long-term opportunities include improving the efficiency of wood stoves used for cooking and heating in rural areas; repairing the reputation of biogasification to take advantage of livestock wastes

Entrained Flow Gasification of Biomass

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qin, Ke

The present Ph. D. thesis describes experimental and modeling investigations on entrained flow gasification of biomass and an experimental investigation on entrained flow cogasification of biomass and coal. A review of the current knowledge of biomass entrained flow gasification is presented....... Biomass gasification experiments were performed in a laboratory-scale atmospheric pressure entrained flow reactor with the aim to investigate the effects of operating parameters and biomass types on syngas products. A wide range of operating parameters was involved: reactor temperature, steam/carbon ratio......, excess air ratio, oxygen concentration, feeder gas flow, and residence time. Wood, straw, and lignin were used as biomass fuels. In general, the carbon conversion was higher than 90 % in the biomass gasification experiments conducted at high temperatures (> 1200 °C). The biomass carbon...

Biomonitoring in a clean and a multi-contaminated estuary based on biomarkers and chemical analyses in the endobenthic worm Nereis diversicolor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durou, Cyril [CNRS, Universite de Nantes, Pole Mer et Littoral, SMAB, 2 rue de la Houssiniere, BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes Cedex 3 (France) and Institut de Biologie et Ecologie Appliquees, CEREA, Universite Catholique de l' Ouest, 44 rue Rabelais, 49008 Angers Cedex 01 (France)]. E-mail: cyril.durou@uco.fr; Poirier, Laurence [CNRS, Universite de Nantes, Pole Mer et Littoral, SMAB, 2 rue de la Houssiniere, BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes Cedex 3 (France); Amiard, Jean-Claude [CNRS, Universite de Nantes, Pole Mer et Littoral, SMAB, 2 rue de la Houssiniere, BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes Cedex 3 (France); Budzinski, Helene [CNRS UMR 5472, LPTC, Universite de Bordeaux I, 33405 Talence (France); Gnassia-Barelli, Mauricette [UMR INRA UNSA 1112 ROSE, Faculte des Sciences, BP 71, 06108 Nice Cedex 2 (France); Lemenach, Karyn [CNRS UMR 5472, LPTC, Universite de Bordeaux I, 33405 Talence (France); Peluhet, Laurent [CNRS UMR 5472, LPTC, Universite de Bordeaux I, 33405 Talence (France); Mouneyrac, Catherine [CNRS, Universite de Nantes, Pole Mer et Littoral, SMAB, 2 rue de la Houssiniere, BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes Cedex 3 (France); Institut de Biologie et Ecologie Appliquees, CEREA, Universite Catholique de l' Ouest, 44 rue Rabelais, 49008 Angers Cedex 01 (France); Romeo, Michele [UMR INRA UNSA 1112 ROSE, Faculte des Sciences, BP 71, 06108 Nice Cedex 2 (France); Amiard-Triquet, Claude [CNRS, Universite de Nantes, Pole Mer et Littoral, SMAB, 2 rue de la Houssiniere, BP 92208, F-44322 Nantes Cedex 3 (France)

2007-07-15

Relationships between biochemical and physiological biomarkers (acetylcholinesterase [AChE], catalase, and glutathione S-transferase [GST] activities, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, glycogen, lipids and proteins) and accumulated concentrations of contaminants (polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals) were examined in the keystone species Nereis diversicolor. The chemical analyses of worms and sediments allowed the designation of the Seine estuary and the Authie estuary as a polluted and relatively clean site respectively. Worms from the Seine estuary exhibited higher GST and lower AChE activities. Generally, larger worms had higher concentrations of energy reserves. Principal component analyses clearly highlighted intersite differences: in the first plan, GST activities and chemical concentrations were inversely related to concentrations of energy reserves; in the second one, PCB concentrations and AChE activity were inversely related. Depleted levels of energy reserves could be a consequence of combating toxicants and might predict effects at higher levels of biological organization. The use of GST and AChE activities and energy reserve concentrations as biomarkers is validated in the field in this keystone species. - The use of N. diversicolor as a biomonitor of environmental quality via the measurement of biomarkers and accumulated concentrations of contaminants is validated in the field.

Investigation of biomass concentration, lipid production, and cellulose content in Chlorella vulgaris cultures using response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguirre, Ana-Maria; Bassi, Amarjeet

2013-08-01

The microalgae Chlorella vulgaris produce lipids that after extraction from cells can be converted into biodiesel. However, these lipids cannot be efficiently extracted from cells due to the presence of the microalgae cell wall, which acts as a barrier for lipid removal when traditional extraction methods are employed. Therefore, a microalgae system with high lipid productivity and thinner cell walls could be more suitable for lipid production from microalgae. This study addresses the effect of culture conditions, specifically carbon dioxide and sodium nitrate concentrations, on biomass concentration and the ratio of lipid productivity/cellulose content. Optimization of culture conditions was done by response surface methodology. The empirical model for biomass concentration (R(2)  = 96.0%) led to a predicted maximum of 1123.2 mg dw L(-1) when carbon dioxide and sodium nitrate concentrations were 2.33% (v/v) and 5.77 mM, respectively. For lipid productivity/cellulose content ratio (R(2)  = 95.2%) the maximum predicted value was 0.46 (mg lipid L(-1)  day(-1) )(mg cellulose mg biomass(-1) )(-1) when carbon dioxide concentration was 4.02% (v/v) and sodium nitrate concentration was 3.21 mM. A common optimum point for both variables (biomass concentration and lipid productivity/cellulose content ratio) was also found, predicting a biomass concentration of 1119.7 mg dw L(-1) and lipid productivity/cellulose content ratio of 0.44 (mg lipid L(-1)  day(-1) )(mg cellulose mg biomass(-1) )(-1) for culture conditions of 3.77% (v/v) carbon dioxide and 4.01 mM sodium nitrate. The models were experimentally validated and results supported their accuracy. This study shows that it is possible to improve lipid productivity/cellulose content by manipulation of culture conditions, which may be applicable to any scale of bioreactors. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

WormGUIDES: an interactive single cell developmental atlas and tool for collaborative multidimensional data exploration.

Science.gov (United States)

Santella, Anthony; Catena, Raúl; Kovacevic, Ismar; Shah, Pavak; Yu, Zidong; Marquina-Solis, Javier; Kumar, Abhishek; Wu, Yicong; Schaff, James; Colón-Ramos, Daniel; Shroff, Hari; Mohler, William A; Bao, Zhirong

2015-06-09

Imaging and image analysis advances are yielding increasingly complete and complicated records of cellular events in tissues and whole embryos. The ability to follow hundreds to thousands of cells at the individual level demands a spatio-temporal data infrastructure: tools to assemble and collate knowledge about development spatially in a manner analogous to geographic information systems (GIS). Just as GIS indexes items or events based on their spatio-temporal or 4D location on the Earth these tools would organize knowledge based on location within the tissues or embryos. Developmental processes are highly context-specific, but the complexity of the 4D environment in which they unfold is a barrier to assembling an understanding of any particular process from diverse sources of information. In the same way that GIS aids the understanding and use of geo-located large data sets, software can, with a proper frame of reference, allow large biological data sets to be understood spatially. Intuitive tools are needed to navigate the spatial structure of complex tissue, collate large data sets and existing knowledge with this spatial structure and help users derive hypotheses about developmental mechanisms. Toward this goal we have developed WormGUIDES, a mobile application that presents a 4D developmental atlas for Caenorhabditis elegans. The WormGUIDES mobile app enables users to navigate a 3D model depicting the nuclear positions of all cells in the developing embryo. The identity of each cell can be queried with a tap, and community databases searched for available information about that cell. Information about ancestry, fate and gene expression can be used to label cells and craft customized visualizations that highlight cells as potential players in an event of interest. Scenes are easily saved, shared and published to other WormGUIDES users. The mobile app is available for Android and iOS platforms. WormGUIDES provides an important tool for examining developmental

Correlation of different spectral lights with biomass accumulation and production of antioxidant secondary metabolites in callus cultures of medicinally important Prunella vulgaris L.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazal, Hina; Abbasi, Bilal Haider; Ahmad, Nisar; Ali, Syed Shujait; Akbar, Fazal; Kanwal, Farina

2016-06-01

Light is one of the key elicitors that directly fluctuates plant developmental processes and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. In this study, the effects of various spectral lights on biomass accumulation and production of antioxidant secondary metabolites in callus cultures of Prunella vulgaris were investigated. Among different spectral lights, green light induced the maximum callogenic response (95%). Enhanced fresh biomass accumulation was observed in log phases on day-35, when callus cultures were exposed to yellow and violet lights. Yellow light induced maximum biomass accumulation (3.67g/100ml) from leaf explants as compared to control (1.27g/100ml). In contrast, violet lights enhanced biomass accumulation (3.49g/100ml) from petiole explant. Maximum total phenolics content (TPC; 23.9mg/g-DW) and total flavonoids content (TFC; 1.65mg/g-DW) were observed when cultures were grown under blue lights. In contrast, green and yellow lights enhanced total phenolics production (TPP; 112.52g/100ml) and total flavonoids production (TFP; 9.64g/100ml) as compared to control. The calli grown under green, red and blue lights enhanced DPPH-free radical scavenging activity (DFRSA; 91.3%, 93.1% and 93%) than control (56.44%) respectively. The DFRSA was correlated either with TPC and TFC or TPP and TFP. Furthermore, yellow lights enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and protease activities, however, the content of total protein (CTP) was higher in control cultures (186μg BSAE/mg FW) as compared to spectral lights. These results suggest that the exposure of callus cultures to various spectral lights have shown a key role in biomass accumulation and production of antioxidant secondary metabolites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pretreated densified biomass products

Science.gov (United States)

Dale, Bruce E; Ritchie, Bryan; Marshall, Derek

2014-03-18

A product comprising at least one densified biomass particulate of a given mass having no added binder and comprised of a plurality of lignin-coated plant biomass fibers is provided, wherein the at least one densified biomass particulate has an intrinsic density substantially equivalent to a binder-containing densified biomass particulate of the same given mass and h a substantially smooth, non-flakey outer surface. Methods for using and making the product are also described.

Evaluation of hybrid solar – biomass dryer with no load

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yassen Tadahmun Ahmed

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Experimental study was carried out to investigate the performance of designed and fabricated hybrid solar-biomass dryer without load. The solar side was a natural convection mixed mode, while the biomass side was a hot air produced from a burner/gas to gas heat exchanger. The experiments have been conducted to test the dryer temperature, inlet and outlet relative humidity, outlet velocity, and biomass feeding rate. In the solar mode the maximum dryer temperature was 63°C. Behaviours of the velocity in the dryer was found to follow solar radiation available to the dryer. The velocity was in the range of 0.6 – 1.35 m/s through the 0.0176 m2 area of the outlet when the solar radiation was in the range of 150 – 880 W/m2. Two feeding rates of wood were used to investigate the dryer performance through the night. The results showed that at feeding rate 278 g/hr, the drying air mean temperature was 62 ºC. This temperature was more suitable than the measured drying air temperature at feeding rate 490 g/hr. Also the 62 °C drying environment is more stable and feasible for drying almost all types of products.

Method for pretreating lignocellulosic biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzhiyil, Najeeb M.; Brown, Robert C.; Dalluge, Dustin Lee

2015-08-18

The present invention relates to a method for pretreating lignocellulosic biomass containing alkali and/or alkaline earth metal (AAEM). The method comprises providing a lignocellulosic biomass containing AAEM; determining the amount of the AAEM present in the lignocellulosic biomass; identifying, based on said determining, the amount of a mineral acid sufficient to completely convert the AAEM in the lignocellulosic biomass to thermally-stable, catalytically-inert salts; and treating the lignocellulosic biomass with the identified amount of the mineral acid, wherein the treated lignocellulosic biomass contains thermally-stable, catalytically inert AAEM salts.

Biomass Maps | Geospatial Data Science | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Biomass Maps Biomass Maps These maps illustrate the biomass resource in the United States by county . Biomass feedstock data are analyzed both statistically and graphically using a geographic information Data Science Team. Solid Biomass Resources Map of Total Biomass Resources in the United States Solid

System and process for biomass treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Dunson, Jr., James B; Tucker, III, Melvin P; Elander, Richard T; Lyons, Robert C

2013-08-20

A system including an apparatus is presented for treatment of biomass that allows successful biomass treatment at a high solids dry weight of biomass in the biomass mixture. The design of the system provides extensive distribution of a reactant by spreading the reactant over the biomass as the reactant is introduced through an injection lance, while the biomass is rotated using baffles. The apparatus system to provide extensive assimilation of the reactant into biomass using baffles to lift and drop the biomass, as well as attrition media which fall onto the biomass, to enhance the treatment process.

Yeast Biomass Production in Brewery's Spent Grains Hemicellulosic Hydrolyzate

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, Luís C.; Carvalheiro, Florbela; Lopes, Sónia; Neves, Ines; Gírio, Francisco M.

Yeast single-cell protein and yeast extract, in particular, are two products which have many feed, food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological applications. However, many of these applications are limited by their market price. Specifically, the yeast extract requirements for culture media are one of the major technical hurdles to be overcome for the development of low-cost fermentation routes for several top value chemicals in a biorefinery framework. A potential biotechnical solution is the production of yeast biomass from the hemicellulosic fraction stream. The growth of three pentose-assimilating yeast cell factories, Debaryomyces hansenii, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Pichia stipitis was compared using non-detoxified brewery's spent grains hemicellulosic hydrolyzate supplemented with mineral nutrients. The yeasts exhibited different specific growth rates, biomass productivities, and yields being D. hansenii as the yeast species that presented the best performance, assimilating all sugars and noteworthy consuming most of the hydrolyzate inhibitors. Under optimized conditions, D. hansenii displayed a maximum specific growth rate, biomass yield, and productivity of 0.34 h-1, 0.61 g g-1, and 0.56 g 1-1 h-1, respectively. The nutritional profile of D. hansenii was thoroughly evaluated, and it compares favorably to others reported in literature. It contains considerable amounts of some essential amino acids and a high ratio of unsaturated over saturated fatty acids.

Growing stock and woody biomass assessment in Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, Delhi, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kushwaha, S P S; Nandy, S; Gupta, Mohini

2014-09-01

Biomass is an important entity to understand the capacity of an ecosystem to sequester and accumulate carbon over time. The present study, done in collaboration with the Delhi Forest Department, focused on the estimation of growing stock and the woody biomass in the so-called lungs of Delhi--the Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Aravalli hills. The satellite-derived vegetation strata were field-inventoried using stratified random sampling procedure. Growing stock was calculated for the individual sample plots using field data and species-specific volume equations. Biomass was estimated from the growing stock and the specific gravity of the wood. Among the four vegetation types, viz. Prosopis juliflora, Anogeissus pendula, forest plantation and the scrub, the P. juliflora was found to be the dominant vegetation in the area, covering 23.43 km(2) of the total area. The study revealed that P. juliflora forest with moderate density had the highest (10.7 m(3)/ha) while A. pendula forest with moderate density had the lowest (3.6 m(3)/ha) mean volume. The mean woody biomass was also found to be maximum in P. juliflora forest with moderate density (10.3 t/ha) and lowest in A. pendula forest with moderate density (3.48 t/ha). The total growing stock was estimated to be 20,772.95 m(3) while total biomass worked out to be 19,366.83 t. A strong correlation was noticed between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the growing stock (R(2) = 0.84)/biomass (R(2) = 0.88). The study demonstrated that growing stock and the biomass of the woody vegetation in Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary could be estimated with high accuracy using optical remote sensing data.

Detergent assisted ultrasonication aided in situ transesterification for biodiesel production from oleaginous yeast wet biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Yellapu, Sravan Kumar; Kaur, Rajwinder; Tyagi, Rajeshwar D

2017-01-01

In situ transesterification of oleaginous yeast wet biomass for fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) production using acid catalyst, methanol with or without N-Lauroyl sarcosine (N-LS) treatment was performed. The maximum FAMEs yield obtained with or without N-LS treatment in 24h reaction time was 96.1±1.9 and 71±1.4% w/w, respectively. The N-LS treatment of biomass followed by with or without ultrasonication revealed maximum FAMEs yield of 94.3±1.9% and 82.9±1.8% w/w using methanol to lipid molar ratio 360:1 and catalyst concentration 360mM (64μL H 2 SO 4 /g lipid) within 5 and 25min reaction time, respectively. The FAMEs composition obtained in in situ transesterification was similar to that obtained with conventional two step lipid extraction and transesterification process. Biodiesel fuel properties (density, kinematic viscosity, cetane number and total glycerol) were in accordance with international standard (ASTM D6751), which suggests the suitability of biodiesel as a fuel. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Windbreak effect on biomass and grain mass accumulation of corn: a modeling approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, H.; Brandle, J.R.

1996-01-01

While numerous studies have indicated that field windbreaks both improve crop growing conditions and generally enhance crop growth and yield, especially under less favorable conditions, the relationship between the two is not clearly understood. A simple model is proposed to simulate biomass and grain mass accumulation of corn (Zea mays L,) with a windbreak shelter or without (exposed condition). The model is based on the positive relationship between intercepted solar radiation and biomass accumulation and requires plant population and hourly inputs of solar radiation and air temperature. Using published data, radiation use efficiency (RUE) was related to plant population, and a temperature function was established between the relative corn growth and temperature for pre-silking stages. Biomass and grain mass simulated by the model agreed well with those measured for both sheltered and unsheltered plants from 1990 to 1992. Windbreaks did not significantly increase biomass or grain mass of corn for this study, even though air temperature was greater with than without shelter, probably indicating that the microclimatic changes induced by windbreaks were not physiologically significant for the 3-yr period studied. The model has potential use in future studies to relate windbreak effects to crop yield and to evaluate windbreak designs for maximum benefits

Modeling Reef Fish Biomass, Recovery Potential, and Management Priorities in the Western Indian Ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

McClanahan, Timothy R; Maina, Joseph M; Graham, Nicholas A J; Jones, Kendall R

2016-01-01

Fish biomass is a primary driver of coral reef ecosystem services and has high sensitivity to human disturbances, particularly fishing. Estimates of fish biomass, their spatial distribution, and recovery potential are important for evaluating reef status and crucial for setting management targets. Here we modeled fish biomass estimates across all reefs of the western Indian Ocean using key variables that predicted the empirical data collected from 337 sites. These variables were used to create biomass and recovery time maps to prioritize spatially explicit conservation actions. The resultant fish biomass map showed high variability ranging from ~15 to 2900 kg/ha, primarily driven by human populations, distance to markets, and fisheries management restrictions. Lastly, we assembled data based on the age of fisheries closures and showed that biomass takes ~ 25 years to recover to typical equilibrium values of ~1200 kg/ha. The recovery times to biomass levels for sustainable fishing yields, maximum diversity, and ecosystem stability or conservation targets once fishing is suspended was modeled to estimate temporal costs of restrictions. The mean time to recovery for the whole region to the conservation target was 8.1(± 3SD) years, while recovery to sustainable fishing thresholds was between 0.5 and 4 years, but with high spatial variation. Recovery prioritization scenario models included one where local governance prioritized recovery of degraded reefs and two that prioritized minimizing recovery time, where countries either operated independently or collaborated. The regional collaboration scenario selected remote areas for conservation with uneven national responsibilities and spatial coverage, which could undermine collaboration. There is the potential to achieve sustainable fisheries within a decade by promoting these pathways according to their social-ecological suitability.

A new orthopteran-parasitizing horsehair worm, Acutogordius taiwanensis sp. n., with a redescription of Chordodes formosanus and novel host records from Taiwan (Nematomorpha, Gordiida

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Chung Chiu

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A description of a new species of horsehair worm, Acutogordius taiwanensis sp. n., a redescription of Chordodes formosanus, and novel host records for the latter are provided. Acutogordius taiwanensis sp. n. is morphologically similar to A. protectus with moderately flat areoles on its tail tips, but is distinguishable by small mid-body ornamentations. Despite the distinct differences in the post-cloacal crescents between 14 male samples, their conspecific status, along with that of nine female samples, was upheld by a phylogenetic comparison of partial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI sequences. Chordodes formosanus is another common horsehair worm species in Taiwan, which was previously believed to specifically parasitize Hierodula mantids. However, in this study, five C. formosanus were observed emerging from an Acromantis mantid, and two long-horned grasshopper hosts (Leptoteratura sp. and Holochlora japonica. These five worms showed high degrees of similarity in COI sequences and morphology, but one of these individuals bore abnormal crowned areoles, which has never been observed in C. formosanus, and may be attributed to the incomplete development of this particular individual.

Biomass catalysis and solvents; Biomasse catalyse et solvants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pioch, D [CIRAD-AMIS, programme Agro-Alimentaire, 34 - Montpellier (France); Pouilloux, Y; Barrault, J [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS UMR 6503), ESIP, Lab. de Catalyse en Chimie Organique, 86 - Poitiers (France); and others

2000-07-01

How to develop new technics and products and at the same time to respect the environment? The biomass seems to be an interesting domain in this framework and this document allows the selection of performing products obtain by biomass. Among these products the solvents economic and environmental advantages or consequences are discussed. A great part is also devoted to the voc emissions, bound to the solvents.

Bio-ethanol production from waste biomass of Pogonatherum crinitum phytoremediator: an eco-friendly strategy for renewable energy.

Science.gov (United States)

Waghmare, Pankajkumar R; Watharkar, Anuprita D; Jeon, Byong-Hun; Govindwar, Sanjay P

2018-03-01

In this study, we have described three steps to produce ethanol from Pogonatherum crinitum , which was derived after the treatment of textile wastewater. (a) Production of biomass: biomass samples collected from a hydroponic P. crinitum phytoreactor treating dye textile effluents and augmented with Ca-alginate immobilized growth-promoting bacterium, Bacillus pumilus strain PgJ (consortium phytoreactor), and waste sorghum husks were collected and dried. Compositional analysis of biomass (consortium phytoreactor) showed that the concentration of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin was 42, 30 and 17%, respectively, whereas the biomass samples without the growth-promoting bacterium (normal phytoreactor) was slightly lower, 40, 29 and 16%, respectively. (b) Hydrolysate (sugar) production: a crude sample of the fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium containing hydrolytic enzymes such as endoglucanase (53.25 U/ml), exoglucanase (8.38 U/ml), glucoamylase (115.04 U/ml), xylanase (83.88 U/ml), LiP (0.972 U/ml) and MnP (0.459 U/ml) was obtained, and added to consortium, normal and control phytoreactor derived biomass supplemented with Tween-20 (0.2% v/v). The hydrolysate of biomass from consortium phytoreactor produced maximum reducing sugar (0.93 g/l) than hydrolysates of normal phytoreactor biomass (0.82 g/l) and control phytoreactor biomass (0.79 g/l). FTIR and XRD analysis confirmed structural changes in treated biomass. (c) Ethanol production: the bioethanol produced from enzymatic hydrolysates of waste biomass of consortium and normal phytoreactor using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (KCTC 7296) was 42.2 and 39.4 g/l, respectively, while control phytoreactor biomass hydrolysate showed only 25.5 g/l. Thus, the amalgamation of phytoremediation and bioethanol production can be the truly environment-friendly way to eliminate the problem of textile dye along with bioenergy generation.

Multi-functional biomass systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dornburg, Veronika

2004-01-01

Biomass can play a role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions by substituting conventional materials and supplying biomass based fuels. Main reason for the low share of biomass applications in Europe is their often-high production costs, among others due to the relatively low availability of

From biomass to biocarbon : trends and tradeoffs when CO-firing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McLaughlin, H. [Alterna Energy Inc., Prince George, BC (Canada)

2009-07-01

This study examined current market dynamics for biomass-based fuels produced in British Columbia (BC) and consumed by utilities in Sweden. The aim of the study was to compare and develop the properties of 3 biofuels suitable for co-firing: (1) dry wood pellets; (2) torrefied wood pellets; and (3) biocarbon pellets. Biocarbon fuels are processed at higher temperatures to produce a higher energy density fuel per unit weight at a lower overall mass yield. The processing mass balances and physical properties of the pellets were investigated as well as the production and transportation costs of biofuels. Market value, profit, and maximum production costs of the pellets were examined. The study showed that the biofuel supply chain includes significant transportation costs relative to the cost of the raw biomass and biofuel conversion processes. It was concluded that higher energy density biocarbon pellets represent the most cost-effective biofuel option for co-firing with coal. 10 refs., 3 tabs., 4 figs.

From biomass to biocarbon : trends and tradeoffs when CO-firing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaughlin, H.

2009-01-01

This study examined current market dynamics for biomass-based fuels produced in British Columbia (BC) and consumed by utilities in Sweden. The aim of the study was to compare and develop the properties of 3 biofuels suitable for co-firing: (1) dry wood pellets; (2) torrefied wood pellets; and (3) biocarbon pellets. Biocarbon fuels are processed at higher temperatures to produce a higher energy density fuel per unit weight at a lower overall mass yield. The processing mass balances and physical properties of the pellets were investigated as well as the production and transportation costs of biofuels. Market value, profit, and maximum production costs of the pellets were examined. The study showed that the biofuel supply chain includes significant transportation costs relative to the cost of the raw biomass and biofuel conversion processes. It was concluded that higher energy density biocarbon pellets represent the most cost-effective biofuel option for co-firing with coal. 10 refs., 3 tabs., 4 figs.

Earthworm communities along an elevation gradient in Northeastern Puerto Rico.

Science.gov (United States)

Grizelle Gonzalez; Emerita Garcia; Veronica Cruz; Sonia Borges; Marcela Zalamea; Maria M. Rivera

2007-01-01

In this study, we describe earthworm communities along an elevation gradient of eight forest types in Northeastern Puerto Rico, and determine whether their abundance, biomass and/or diversity is related to climatic, soil physical/chemical and/or biotic characteristics. We found that the density, biomass, and diversity of worms varied significantly among forest types....

Biomass energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasztor, J.; Kristoferson, L.

1992-01-01

Bioenergy systems can provide an energy supply that is environmentally sound and sustainable, although, like all energy systems, they have an environmental impact. The impact often depends more on the way the whole system is managed than on the fuel or on the conversion technology. The authors first describe traditional biomass systems: combustion and deforestation; health impact; charcoal conversion; and agricultural residues. A discussion of modern biomass systems follows: biogas; producer gas; alcohol fuels; modern wood fuel resources; and modern biomass combustion. The issue of bioenergy and the environment (land use; air pollution; water; socioeconomic impacts) and a discussion of sustainable bioenergy use complete the paper. 53 refs., 9 figs., 14 tabs

Vegetal and animal biomass; Les biomasses vegetales et animales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Combarnous, M. [Bordeaux-1 Univ., Lab. Energetique et Phenomenes de Transfert, UMR CNRS ENSAM, 33 - Talence (France)

2005-07-01

This presentation concerns all types of biomass of the earth and the seas and the relative implicit consumptions. After an evaluation of the food needs of the human being, the author discusses the solar energy conversion, the energetic flux devoted to the agriculture production, the food chain and the biomass. (A.L.B.)

Guideline for safe and eco-friendly biomass gasification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vos, J.; Knoef, H. (BTG biomass technology group, Enschede (Netherlands)); Hauth, M. (Graz Univ. of Technology. Institute of Thermal Engineering, Graz (Austria)) (and others)

2009-11-15

The objective of the Gasification Guide project is to accelerate the market penetration of small-scale biomass gasification systems (< 5 MW fuel power) by the development of a Guideline and Software Tool to facilitate risk assessment of HSE aspects. The Guideline may also be applied in retrofitting or converting old thermal plants in the Eastern European countries - with rich biomass recourses - to new gasification plants. The objective of this document is to guide key target groups identifying potential hazards and make a proper risk assessment. The software tool is an additional aid in the risk assessment. This guideline is intended to be a training tool and a resource for workers and employers to safely design, fabricate, construct, operate and maintain small-scale biomass gasification facilities. The Guideline is applicable with the following constraints: 1) The maximum scale of the gasification plant was agreed to be about 1 MW{sub e}. The reason is that large companies do have normally their safety rules in place; 2) This means in principle only fixed bed gasifier designs. However, most parts are also valid to other designs and even other thermal conversion processes; 3) The use of contaminated biomass is beyond the scope of this Guideline. The Guideline contains five major chapters; Chapter 2 briefly describes the gasification technology in general. Chapter 3 gives an overview of major legal framework issues on plant permission and operation. The legal frame is changing and the description is based on the situation by the end of 2007. Chapter 4 explains the theory behind the risk assessment method and risk reduction measures. Chapter 5 is the heart of the Guideline and gives practical examples of good design, operation and maintenance principles. The practical examples and feedback have been received throughout the project and the description is based on mid-2009. Chapter 6 describes the best techniques currently available for emission abatement which are

Microplastic moves pollutants and additives to worms, reducing functions linked to health and biodiversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Browne, Mark Anthony; Niven, Stewart J; Galloway, Tamara S; Rowland, Steve J; Thompson, Richard C

2013-12-02

Inadequate products, waste management, and policy are struggling to prevent plastic waste from infiltrating ecosystems [1, 2]. Disintegration into smaller pieces means that the abundance of micrometer-sized plastic (microplastic) in habitats has increased [3] and outnumbers larger debris [2, 4]. When ingested by animals, plastic provides a feasible pathway to transfer attached pollutants and additive chemicals into their tissues [5-15]. Despite positive correlations between concentrations of ingested plastic and pollutants in tissues of animals, few, if any, controlled experiments have examined whether ingested plastic transfers pollutants and additives to animals. We exposed lugworms (Arenicola marina) to sand with 5% microplastic that was presorbed with pollutants (nonylphenol and phenanthrene) and additive chemicals (Triclosan and PBDE-47). Microplastic transferred pollutants and additive chemicals into gut tissues of lugworms, causing some biological effects, although clean sand transferred larger concentrations of pollutants into their tissues. Uptake of nonylphenol from PVC or sand reduced the ability of coelomocytes to remove pathogenic bacteria by >60%. Uptake of Triclosan from PVC diminished the ability of worms to engineer sediments and caused mortality, each by >55%, while PVC alone made worms >30% more susceptible to oxidative stress. As global microplastic contamination accelerates, our findings indicate that large concentrations of microplastic and additives can harm ecophysiological functions performed by organisms. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recurrent cholangitis in the tropics: Worm or cast?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jain P

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The development of biliary casts is very rare, especially in non-liver transplant patients. The etiology of these casts is uncertain but several factors have been proposed which lead to bile stasis and/or gallbladder hypo-contractility and promote cast formation. Here, we report a 54-year-old male, with diabetes and ischemic heart disease, who presented with recurrent attacks of cholangitis. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed linear T1 hyperintense and T2 hypointense filling defects in the right and left hepatic ducts extending into the common hepatic duct, and a calculus in the lower common bile duct, raising a suspicion of worm in the biliary tree. In view of failed attempts at extraction on endoscopy, patient underwent surgery. At exploration, biliary casts and stones were extracted from the proximal and the second order bile ducts, with the help of intraoperative choledochoscopy and a bilio-enteric anastomosis was accomplished. Although endoscopic retrieval of the biliary cast can be employed as first-line management, surgery should be considered in case it fails.

Suitability of marginal biomass-derived biochars for soil amendment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buss, Wolfram [UK Biochar Research Centre, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FF (United Kingdom); Graham, Margaret C. [School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FF (United Kingdom); Shepherd, Jessica G. [UK Biochar Research Centre, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FF (United Kingdom); School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FF (United Kingdom); Mašek, Ondřej, E-mail: ondrej.masek@ed.ac.uk [UK Biochar Research Centre, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FF (United Kingdom)

2016-03-15

The term “marginal biomass” is used here to describe materials of little or no economic value, e.g. plants grown on contaminated land, food waste or demolition wood. In this study 10 marginal biomass-derived feedstocks were converted into 19 biochars at different highest treatment temperatures (HTT) using a continuous screw-pyrolysis unit. The aim was to investigate suitability of the resulting biochars for land application, judged on the basis of potentially toxic element (PTE) concentration, nutrient content and basic biochar properties (pH, EC, ash, fixed carbon). It was shown that under typical biochar production conditions the percentage content of several PTEs (As, Al, Zn) and nutrients (Ca, Mg) were reduced to some extent, but also that biochar can be contaminated by Cr and Ni during the pyrolysis process due to erosion of stainless steel reactor parts (average + 82.8% Cr, + 226.0% Ni). This can occur to such an extent that the resulting biochar is rendered unsuitable for soil application (maximum addition + 22.5 mg Cr kg{sup −1} biochar and + 44.4 mg Ni kg{sup −1} biochar). Biomass grown on land heavily contaminated with PTEs yielded biochars with PTE concentrations above recommended threshold values for soil amendments. Cd and Zn were of particular concern, exceeding the lowest threshold values by 31-fold and 7-fold respectively, despite some losses into the gas phase. However, thermal conversion of plants from less severely contaminated soils, demolition wood and food waste anaerobic digestate (AD) into biochar proved to be promising for land application. In particular, food waste AD biochar contained very high nutrient concentrations, making it interesting for use as fertiliser. - Highlights: • Marginal biomass feedstocks are materials of little economic value. • Biochar from biomass grown on PTE-rich soils tends to exceed guideline values. • Biochar from biomass with high mineral content can be a beneficial nutrient source. • Cr and Ni

Suitability of marginal biomass-derived biochars for soil amendment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buss, Wolfram; Graham, Margaret C.; Shepherd, Jessica G.; Mašek, Ondřej

2016-01-01

The term “marginal biomass” is used here to describe materials of little or no economic value, e.g. plants grown on contaminated land, food waste or demolition wood. In this study 10 marginal biomass-derived feedstocks were converted into 19 biochars at different highest treatment temperatures (HTT) using a continuous screw-pyrolysis unit. The aim was to investigate suitability of the resulting biochars for land application, judged on the basis of potentially toxic element (PTE) concentration, nutrient content and basic biochar properties (pH, EC, ash, fixed carbon). It was shown that under typical biochar production conditions the percentage content of several PTEs (As, Al, Zn) and nutrients (Ca, Mg) were reduced to some extent, but also that biochar can be contaminated by Cr and Ni during the pyrolysis process due to erosion of stainless steel reactor parts (average + 82.8% Cr, + 226.0% Ni). This can occur to such an extent that the resulting biochar is rendered unsuitable for soil application (maximum addition + 22.5 mg Cr kg −1 biochar and + 44.4 mg Ni kg −1 biochar). Biomass grown on land heavily contaminated with PTEs yielded biochars with PTE concentrations above recommended threshold values for soil amendments. Cd and Zn were of particular concern, exceeding the lowest threshold values by 31-fold and 7-fold respectively, despite some losses into the gas phase. However, thermal conversion of plants from less severely contaminated soils, demolition wood and food waste anaerobic digestate (AD) into biochar proved to be promising for land application. In particular, food waste AD biochar contained very high nutrient concentrations, making it interesting for use as fertiliser. - Highlights: • Marginal biomass feedstocks are materials of little economic value. • Biochar from biomass grown on PTE-rich soils tends to exceed guideline values. • Biochar from biomass with high mineral content can be a beneficial nutrient source. • Cr and Ni from the

Descifrado geométrico de transmisiones de engranaje por tornillo sinfín cilíndrico // Deciphered geometric of worm gears transmissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Rivero Llerena

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Se aborda el tema de la geometría de transmisiones de engranaje por tornillo sinfín cilíndrico como acción preliminar alproceso de reconversión de reductores de velocidad de mismo tipo. Se utilizan los diagramas bicromáticos como unaherramienta para el tratamiento algorítmico de problemas de descifrado geométrico.Palabras claves: Transmisión mecánica, descifrado, grafos bicromáticos, engranaje de tornillo sinfín.____________________________________________________________________AbstractThe worm gear geometry is treated as a way of recovering of speed reducers. Bicromatic diagram is used as tool foralgorithm treatment and analyzing of geometric problems.Key word: Worm gears, deciphered, bicromatic diagrams, mechanical transmissions.

Remarks on energetic biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathis, Paul; Pelletier, Georges

2011-01-01

The authors report a study of energy biomass by considering its three main sources (forest, agriculture and wastes) and three energy needs (heat, fuel for transports, electricity) in the French national context. After having recalled the various uses of biomass (animal feeding, energy production, materials, chemical products), the authors discuss the characteristics of biomass with respect to other energy sources. Then, they analyse and discuss the various energy needs which biomass could satisfy: heat production (in industry, in the residential and office building sector), fuel for transports, electricity production. They assess and discuss the possible biomass production of its three main sources: forest, agriculture, and wastes (household, agricultural and industrial wastes). They also discuss the opportunities for biogas production and for second generation bio-fuel production

Indian Farmers’ Perceptions and Willingness to Supply Surplus Biomass to an Envisioned Biomass-Based Power Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anas Zyadin

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The main objectives of this socio-technical study are to investigate the Indian farmers’ biomass production capacities and their perceptions and willingness to supply their surplus biomass to fuel an envisioned biomass-based power plant in three selected Indian states: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. For doing so, 471 farmers (about one-third from each state have been interviewed in the field with info-sheet filled in by the field investigators. The farmers from all of the states appeared very much willing to sell their surplus biomass directly to a power plant. The farmers seem to depreciate the involvement of a middleman in the biomass procurement process. The farmers, however, appeared to highly appreciate a community-based association to regulate the biomass prices, with varying perceptions regarding government intervention. The majority of the farmers perceived the establishment of a biomass-based power plant in their region with positive economic outcomes. The farmers identified several barriers to supply biomass to a power plant where transportation logistics appeared to be the main barrier. The study recommends considering biomass collection, storage and transportation logistics as a fundamental segment of any envisioned investment in a biomass-based power plant. Biomass processing, such as pelletization or briquetting is recommended for efficient transportation of biomass at longer distances to reduce the transportation costs. The study further encourages the establishment of a farmers’ association aimed at collecting and selling biomass in agriculture areas predominant for small land holdings.

Histological changes in the testes of gamma irradiated cotton leaf worm Spodoptera Littoralis (Boisd.). Vol. 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sallam, H A; Ibrahim, S M; El-Naggar, S M [Department of biological applications, Nuclear Research Center, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo (Egypt); Abel--Gawad, A A; Assar, M M [Plant protection Department, Faculty of Africulture Moshtohor, Zagazig University cairo (Egypt)

1996-03-01

Male adults, less than 24 hours, of cotton leaf worm, S. Littoralis (Boisd.) were gamma irradiated with 100, 150 and 200 Gy and mated with normal females. The resulting males of each generation were used for mating normal females throughout three successive generations. Dissection of adult male parents immediately after irradiation showed no histological effects on testes. The volumes of testes of F{sub 1}, F{sub 2} and F{sub 3} generations of cotton leaf worm male moths were significantly affected by the radiation doses applied to parental males. The effects on internal anatomy and histology of the male reproductive system confirm that Gy had minimal effect on the volume and the structure of the testes among the three successive generations. Most of the sperm bundles appeared normal and the individual sperm was fully formed indicating normal metamorphosis. However, a dose of 150 Gy showed morphological abnormalities and retardation in sperm maturation. At 200 Gy the volume and structure of the testes were severely affected. Damage in the testes was highest among F{sub 1}, and was minimized in the other generations. 10 figs., 1 tab.

Performance of sorghum cultivars for biomass quality and biomethane yield grown in semi-arid area of Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, Muhammad Umair; Chattha, Muhammad Umer; Mahmood, Athar; Sahi, Shahbaz Talib

2018-05-01

Biomass is a promising renewable energy source and its significance is escalating in the context of climate change and depletion of fossil foils. This study was conducted for two consecutive years 2016 and 2017, using five sorghum cultivars, i.e., JS-263, Jawar-2011, Hagari, JS-2002, and YS-2016, in order to determine the best cultivars in terms of dry matter yield, chemical composition, and biomethane yield grown under semi-arid conditions in Pakistan. The results revealed that sorghum cultivars responded differently in terms of growth, biomass yield, chemical composition, and methane yield. Cultivars Jawar-2011 produced maximum leaf area index, leaf area duration, crop growth rate, plant height, and leaves per plant, however, they were comparable with Sorghum-2016, whereas cultivar JS-2002 performed poorly among the tested cultivars. Similarly, cultivar Jawar-2011 produced maximum dry matter yield (16.37 t ha -1 ) similar to that of YS-2016, further cultivar JS-2002 performed poorly and gave lower dry matter yield (12.87 t ha -1 ). The maximum protein concentration (10.95), neutral detergent fibers (61.20), and lignin contents (5.55) found in Jawar-2011 were comparable with those in YS-2016, while the lowest neutral detergent fiber and lignin contents were found in JS-2002. Although JS-2002 produced the highest specific methane yield per kilogram of volatile solids, it was overcompensated by Jawar-2011 owing to higher dry matter yield per hectare. These results suggested that cultivar Jawar-2011 can be grown successfully in semi-arid conditions of Pakistan in order to get good biomass yield along with higher methane yield.

Biomass Scenario Model | Energy Analysis | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Biomass Scenario Model Biomass Scenario Model The Biomass Scenario Model (BSM) is a unique range of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks into biofuels. Over the past 25 years, the corn ethanol plant matter (lignocellulosic biomass) to fermentable sugars for the production of fuel ethanol

'Biomass lung': primitive biomass combustion and lung disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baris, Y. I.; Seyfikli, Z.; Demir, A.; Hoskins, J. A.

2002-01-01

Domestic burning of biomass fuel is one of the most important risk factors for the development of respiratory diseases and infant mortality. The fuel which causes the highest level of disease is dung. In the rural areas of developing countries some 80% of households rely on biomass fuels for cooking and often heating as well and so suffer high indoor air pollution. Even when the fire or stove is outside the home those near it are still exposed to the smoke. In areas where the winters are long and cold the problem is aggravated since the fire or stove is indoors for many months of the year. The consequence of biomass burning is a level of morbidity in those exposed to the smoke as well as mortality. The rural areas of Turkey are among many in the world where biomass is the major fuel source. In this case report 8 patients from rural areas, particularly Anatolia, who used biomass are presented. Many of these are non-smoking, female patients who have respiratory complaints and a clinical picture of the chronic lung diseases which would have been expected if they had been heavy smokers. Typically patients cook on the traditional 'tandir' stove using dung and crop residues as the fuel. Ventilation systems are poor and they are exposed to a high level of smoke pollution leading to cough and dyspnoea. Anthracosis is a common outcome of this level of exposure and several of the patients developed lung tumours. The findings from clinical examination of 8 of these patients (2 M, 6 F) are presented together with their outcome where known. (author)

Process for treating biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Timothy J.; Teymouri, Farzaneh

2018-04-10

This invention is directed to a process for treating biomass. The biomass is treated with a biomass swelling agent within the vessel to swell or rupture at least a portion of the biomass. A portion of the swelling agent is removed from a first end of the vessel following the treatment. Then steam is introduced into a second end of the vessel different from the first end to further remove swelling agent from the vessel in such a manner that the swelling agent exits the vessel at a relatively low water content.

EnerGEO biomass pilot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tum, M.; Guenther, K.P.; McCallum, I.; Balkovic, J.; Khabarov, N.; Kindermann, G.; Leduc, S.; Biberacher, M.

2013-01-01

In the framework of the EU FP7 project EnerGEO (Earth Observations for Monitoring and Assessment of the Environmental Impact of Energy Use) sustainable energy potentials for forest and agricultural areas were estimated by applying three different model approaches. Firstly, the Biosphere Energy Transfer Hydrology (BETHY/DLR) model was applied to assess agricultural and forest biomass increases on a regional scale with the extension to grassland. Secondly, the EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate) - a cropping systems simulation model - was used to estimate grain yields on a global scale and thirdly the Global Forest Model (G4M) was used to estimate global woody biomass harvests and stock. The general objective of the biomass pilot is to implement the observational capacity for using biomass as an important current and future energy resource. The scope of this work was to generate biomass energy potentials for locations on the globe and to validate these data. Therefore, the biomass pilot was focused to use historical and actual remote sensing data as input data for the models. For validation purposes, forest biomass maps for 1987 and 2002 for Germany (Bundeswaldinventur (BWI-2)) and 2001 and 2008 for Austria (Austrian Forest Inventory (AFI)) were prepared as reference. (orig.)

EnerGEO biomass pilot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tum, M.; Guenther, K.P. [German Aerospace Center (DLR), Wessling (Germany). German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD); McCallum, I.; Balkovic, J.; Khabarov, N.; Kindermann, G.; Leduc, S. [International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg (Austria); Biberacher, M. [Research Studios Austria AG (RSA), Salzburg (Austria)

2013-07-01

In the framework of the EU FP7 project EnerGEO (Earth Observations for Monitoring and Assessment of the Environmental Impact of Energy Use) sustainable energy potentials for forest and agricultural areas were estimated by applying three different model approaches. Firstly, the Biosphere Energy Transfer Hydrology (BETHY/DLR) model was applied to assess agricultural and forest biomass increases on a regional scale with the extension to grassland. Secondly, the EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate) - a cropping systems simulation model - was used to estimate grain yields on a global scale and thirdly the Global Forest Model (G4M) was used to estimate global woody biomass harvests and stock. The general objective of the biomass pilot is to implement the observational capacity for using biomass as an important current and future energy resource. The scope of this work was to generate biomass energy potentials for locations on the globe and to validate these data. Therefore, the biomass pilot was focused to use historical and actual remote sensing data as input data for the models. For validation purposes, forest biomass maps for 1987 and 2002 for Germany (Bundeswaldinventur (BWI-2)) and 2001 and 2008 for Austria (Austrian Forest Inventory (AFI)) were prepared as reference. (orig.)

Minyoo Matata - The Vicious Worm - A Taenia solium Computer-Based Health-Education Tool - in Swahili

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trevisan, Chiara; Fèvre, Eric M.; Owiny, Maurice

2017-01-01

Lack of knowledge is one of the main risk factors for the spread of the zoonotic parasite Taenia solium. The computer-based health-education tool 'The Vicious Worm' was developed to create awareness and provide evidence-based health education as a specific measure in control strategies. To increase...... the reach of the tool, a new version in Swahili was developed and can now be downloaded for free from http://theviciousworm.sites.ku.dk....

Fusion characterization of biomass ash

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Teng [State Key Laboratory ofMultiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Zhongguancun North Second Street, Beijing 100190 (China); Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing, 100190 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Fan, Chuigang; Hao, Lifang [State Key Laboratory ofMultiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Zhongguancun North Second Street, Beijing 100190 (China); Li, Songgeng, E-mail: sgli@ipe.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory ofMultiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Zhongguancun North Second Street, Beijing 100190 (China); Song, Wenli [State Key Laboratory ofMultiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Zhongguancun North Second Street, Beijing 100190 (China); Lin, Weigang [State Key Laboratory ofMultiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Zhongguancun North Second Street, Beijing 100190 (China); Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)

2016-08-20

Highlights: • A novel method is proposed to analyze fusion characteristics of biomass ash. • T{sub m} can represent the severe melting temperature of biomass ash. • Compared with AFT, TMA is the better choice to analyze the fusion characteristics of biomass ash. - Abstract: The ash fusion characteristics are important parameters for thermochemical utilization of biomass. In this research, a method for measuring the fusion characteristics of biomass ash by Thermo-mechanical Analyzer, TMA, is described. The typical TMA shrinking ratio curve can be divided into two stages, which are closely related to ash melting behaviors. Several characteristics temperatures based on the TMA curves are used to assess the ash fusion characteristics. A new characteristics temperature, T{sub m}, is proposed to represent the severe melting temperature of biomass ash. The fusion characteristics of six types of biomass ash have been measured by TMA. Compared with standard ash fusibility temperatures (AFT) test, TMA is more suitable for measuring the fusion characteristics of biomass ash. The glassy molten areas of the ash samples are sticky and mainly consist of K-Ca-silicates.

Polyethylenimine-modified fungal biomass as a high-capacity biosorbent for Cr(VI) anions: sorption capacity and uptake mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Shubo; Ting, Yen Peng

2005-11-01

Heavy metal pollution in the aqueous environment is a problem of global concern. Biosorption has been considered as a promising technology for the removal of low levels of toxic metals from industrial effluents and natural waters. A modified fungal biomass of Penicillium chrysogenum with positive surface charges was prepared by grafting polyethylenimine (PEI) onto the biomass surface in a two-step reaction. The presence of PEI on the biomass surface was verified by FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. Due to the high density of amine groups in the long chains of PEI molecules on the surface, the modified biomass was found to possess positive zeta potential at pH below 10.4 as well as high sorption capacity for anionic Cr(VI). Using the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, the maximum sorption capacity for Cr(VI) at a pH range of 4.3-5.5 was 5.37 mmol/g of biomass dry weight, the highest sorption capacity for Cr(VI) compared to other sorbents reported in the literature. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) provided evidence of chromium aggregates formed on the biomass surface. XPS results verified the presence of Cr(III) on the biomass surface in the pH range 2.5-10.5, suggesting that some Cr(VI) anions were reduced to Cr(III) during the sorption. The sorption kinetics indicated that redox reaction occurred on the biomass surface, and whether the converted Cr(III) ions were released to solution or adsorbed on the biomass depended on the solution pH. Sorption mechanisms including electrostatic interaction, chelation, and precipitation were found to be involved in the complex sorption of chromium on the PEI-modified biomass.